


Who needs the past

by the_captains_platonic_masquerade



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Fluff and Smut, Loki is crushing like a teenager, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Misunderstandings, Pocket Dimension, Sharing a Bed, amnesia loki, amnesia tony stark, confused idiots to lovers, enemies to confused idiots, many misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:34:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_captains_platonic_masquerade/pseuds/the_captains_platonic_masquerade
Summary: He looked up and the sky was a beautiful light blue. The calm feeling it brought didn’t last as the ringing in his ears started to fade and he could hear the unmistakable sound of destruction all around him. An electric crackle was alarmingly close, he turned his head to see a bright suit of armour next to him. The helm flipped itself up to reveal the bruised stranger with peculiar facial hair within it."You wouldn’t happen to know…well, who we are and…. What is happening here?” he asked.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 36
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No beta's we die like Loki

He looked up and the sky was a beautiful light blue.

It seemed like an odd shade for the sky and there were no constellations spread across it but for a moment he found himself looking for that. Regardless that he didn’t find it, this blue sky was calm and beautiful.

The calm feeling didn’t last, however, as the ringing in his ears started to fade and he could hear the unmistakable sound of destruction all around him. There was screaming, something like the roar of a great creature, something exploding, and the sizzle of electricity.

The electric crackle was alarmingly right by his ear and he turned his head to see a bright suit of armour next to him. He sat up and winced, holding his head for a moment as the world around him spun. His head ached, he wanted to just close his eyes again and rest but he might not know where he was or what was happening, but he knew he wasn’t likely to be safe here. 

He looked over the armour again… was it his own? No. For one it was too small. Was it even empty? He leaned over it before in a burst of movement and flailing limbs, the armour sat up, almost punching him. The helm flipped itself up to reveal the bruised stranger with peculiar facial hair within it. “What- oh ow, shouldn’t have done that.” The man winced and seemed to waver for a moment, squinting in discomfort.

“Are you… well?” He asked, it only being polite though the amour was heavily dented and had a few places where wires were poking out and sparking. There seemed to be a type of garbled voice coming from within the armour for a moment before it was abruptly silenced. 

“I…. Ugh my head hurts and I think my _everything else_ hurts too.” The man groaned and seemed to have given in to the understandable desire to close his eyes and lay back down but he gently shook him.

“Wait before you do that, you wouldn’t happen to know…well, who we are and…. What is happening here?” The stranger blinked one eye open and gave a quick look around. Then he opened both and more carefully sat up. This time he really looked. There were great glass towers, some which had lower sections shattered and a few big mechanical …he was going to say transport by the wheels they had but none of I looked familiar and some bits where on fire.

“No…I-I don’t know who I am. Why the fuck do I not know who I am?” the man seemed to panic. So yes, they seemed to have both been under the same affliction. “Were we… like, hit on the head of something?”

“I am going to say it would be in the ‘or something’ categories but that is still a guess. Can you-” his words were cut off by a great crash and that roar again as a great green beast jumped down from who knows where, crushing the black road beneath his feet. That had already alarmed him to danger but when a troop of other, all dressed in uniforms and armour started running from behind the creature, all scowling and running for them Loki knew they had to leave.

“Are they attacking us? Are _we_ being attacked? What the fuck is going on?” The group of strangers held up weapons and stalked towards them, staring him down with murderous intent. The stranger looked terrified from where he lay injured in his broken suit. He didn’t even think and quickly draped himself over the other man, grabbing hold of him to shield him with his own body, wishing them safe and well.

————————————————

Being absolutely clueless is a terrible way to wake up, already being hurt and about to be hurt more by an angry group of strangers and a giant green man - _which you feel shouldn’t even be a thing_ \- made It even worse. Then suddenly there is a flash of gold and green light, so disorientating that it caused a spike of vertigo within him. He felt nauseous and squeezed squeezes his eyes shut, but the feeling quickly stopped and he dared to look around.

Is this a house?

 _“What?”_ He said again to the universe, this time pretty pissed off because he is pretty sure he just got teleported, and again, that should not be a thing that can happen! He looked at the man who was still holding onto him with his eyes squeezed his, white knuckled where his fingers are gripping on and slightly denting his metal suit even more. “Hey.” He said gently and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, getting his attention. “Okay never mind who we are, what _are_ you _?_ ” He asked as even the other looked around the room in confusion.

They hesitantly separated and took a collective breath. This was confusing and somewhat unreal, he needed and order of priority to deal with it all or he might just have a breakdown. So, first things first. He needed out of this metal suit. That was easier said than done, it seemed to have been greatly damaged and the suit itself was dead. it took a lot of fiddling from both of them and the longhaired man ends up just ripping a few sections off the suit before they found the sections to pull which got him free. what was a few more breaks in an already broken suit of armour “Thanks.” He told him “-and thank you for taking me with you too. I don’t know for sure but I don’t think you should have been able to do that but I’m really glad you did.”

“I didn’t even realise I could do this.” The other man just brushed it off “But I would be a poor ally indeed if I had left you there to face them as you were.”

“Ally? Did you remember something about us?”

But the man just shook his head “No but it isn’t hard to tell, we were both lying together, both suffering from the same memory affliction, both being charged at by that pack of attackers.” Then he looked down at the half-ruined metal suit and smirked “Though I guess it is hard to believe I would partner with someone so ostentatious with their armouring.”

He just snorted at the tall, dark and magic stranger and looked him up and down “Are you sure, Mr green and gold? Have you even seen yourself yet? How many layers of leather are you actually wearing?”

The man laughed and did looked down at himself. “I guess does still further my point regardless.”

They smiled at each other. It was a big comfort that they weren’t going through this alone. “Okay, so are we at your place or mine? Our evil lair? Our bastion of hope? Hall of justice? Maybe we can find some clues or please, fuck, some names. Can’t just keep calling you, tall, dark and magic in my head.”

“I don’t know, I could get used to calling you short, dark and crafty in mine.” The other smirked.

They set to work, searching the house they were in. It didn’t take them long to find clues, in fact they just had to walk to the adjacent room to the one they were in. They had started on a lounge room it was dusty green walls, dark wood and deep brown furniture, fur throws and books and antiques. It was lived in and he guessed more likely belonging to TDM than himself with the splashes of bright green and mystic here and there.

Then they found the dining room meet kitchen and it was too many clues at once.

“I was joking when I said evil lair!” He complained and TDM just rolled his eyes

“We’re not evil, we were the ones being attacked. 

“Are you sure? Because this looks very much like evil planning.” The table seemed to be split into two, one half covered in a clutter of files and photos, lists, schedules, torn out articles, it took a few flicks through before the saw the big green man and could safely say it was the people they had seen on the street. The other half had weapons and machine bits, a chair at the end with a space where someone had clearly been fiddling with them.

He sat in the chair and huffed “See! I am definitely a mercenary or something.” He moved some of machine parts which had the same red and gold as the suit he woke up in. At first, he thought he had been the one to have made all these parts but then he found something under a scrap of metal covering.

“Oh no, I am a bad guy, I probably stolen this guy’s inventions and I’m now trying to destroy him… if I haven’t already.” He held up a ripped off magazine cover talking about some hot weapons manufacturer who did a sexy photo shoot in where ever the rest of the magazine was. “Poor Tony Stark, that sexy bastard might not have been safe from me.” He said in deep concern as he imagined who he might be and what he might have done to the man for his tech. What do you do when you wake up to yourself and know you were somehow led a life that horrifies you from an outsider’s perspective?

The sound of laughter rang through the room and he looked back up at TDM and huffed. “Hey I’m serious! I don’t want to be a bad guy!” He said in distress, TDM grabbed his wrist and dragged him easily off the chair like his resistance made no different and pulled him back to the living room, to a decorative golden framed mirror. Standing behind him, TDM made him look at himself as he held the cover up so he could see it side by side with his own face.

“ _Oh!”_ Tony said in surprised as he looked between himself, the magazine cover and the man behind him who was pissing himself laughing. “I guess _I am_ the poor sexy bastard, Tony Stark."

——————————————  
  


SDC was now revealed to be one, Tony stark, from New York, a place in Midgard. It was a start. He felt he should be more wary, annoyed or some similar emotion at not remembering who he was but… he wasn’t. He felt a lightness within him. He assumed it could partly be from not going through this alone. He was safe in this house, he could feel that in his centre they would be protected here, and he had an ally. There might be something else, something lost in the fog of his forgotten memories that part of it too much he cannot be certain. But now one name down, the one thing he was eager to recover was his own name.

He and Tony looked over the table and phone no images of himself, he might have been a fluke finding any with Tony’s to start with seeing at the others had what seemed like candid photos taken from afar and the few of Tony’s were from tabloid and magazines. Again, separating him from the group of others. The rest had files which seemed to have been taken from the documents of some sort of agency with a long and tedious name. About that agency’s connection to other organisations. Of storage spaces and hidden locations. The files were long and reference events and places he didn’t recognise so for now they were set aside.

They continued to look through the house and while it was spacious and well made it wasn’t exactly big, well, not to him anyway. It was one story, alongside the rooms they had seen was a hall way with doors leading to a study, lined weapons and many books that he could read while Tony could not. A bed room, one bed, pretty sparse with a walk-in closet with an eclectic array of clothing. And a large bathroom with a large shower and a bath, Tony seemed very excited to use them in the future.

But no name came up. They came back to the living room and he just watched Tony as the man paced around regardless of his slight limp. “Okay so, you’re a magic man -which again, is that normal? Because I feel like magic doesn’t belong in this world but I wouldn’t have though that green giant was normal as well- anyway. Magic, fancy, ummm maybe a nerd… Maybe we should check your books properly, you’re bound to have one with your name in it, hell I wouldn’t be surprised if you had one with your family tree.” He snorted. “Maybe you even have your name embroidered on one of your kinky leather shirts.” At that the man looked down at his own ratty sweat patched shirt which had a few stained patches from various scrapes. “Hey would you mind if borrowed something from your closet actually?”

He nodded “Of course you can, you are hurt and since you can’t read the books you can take the opportunity to clean up and rest while I look.”

But Tony scoffed “I can at least be moral support. I’m not going to leave the only friend I know nameless and alone.” And with a wink he sauntered off.

“You are injured-” he called after him but the human seemed to ignore his protest. Without knowing his life, that man still was something else. He shook his head and started checking more of the books, scanning through the inside of the covered and flicking through pages. It was a little frustrating that his name was so hard to find compared to his companion but he didn’t begrudge him for it. He had only check four books before he heard yelling.

“Hey! Hey Tall, dark and magic!”

He dropped the book and ran as he heard the panic in the others voice. Tony stood frozen in the mirror; a few shades paler as he screwed up his shirt in his hands. He had actually noticed the circle under the man’s shirt as they had explored around. The glow had been faint, almost dismissible. It couldn't be ignored now. He didn’t know what to make of it, splotching of bruises and raw skin, shallow veins all which surrounded the device was damming. It was healed but the man had seen violence. But he was a warrior, he had other signs of injury around his body, some looked old, some must have been forming from what ever had happened today. But all Tony focused on was the metal imbedded in the centre of his chest. “What the fuck!” Tony yelled but he could only shake his head, he didn’t recognise whatever this was at all.

He stepped forward and traced his fingers around the edge of the metal, there was no mistaking it for being merely stuck on top his skin. It went deep, but more than that, he could feel the energy from it, this close he could practically taste it. “It powerful.” He told Tony and gently lay his hand flat on it. “I don’t know how to properly control my magic but…. It’s like a sense… like instinct to me right now. Maybe I can still find out what it does?”

He let magic gather at his hand but tanned hand grasped onto his arm and he looked up to see Tony sweating and seeming to be out of breath. “Don’t… stop touching… I …please” Tony managed to say and he quickly removed his hand.

“I… my apologies, Tony.” As curious as he was this was obviously causing the other great distress and he wouldn’t dare push. “Come along. I am glad you thought to keep me company but I think it’s time for you to rest.” He led Tony by the arm and lowered him to the bed, pulling off his shoes and making him lie down. “Our mystery will still be here when you awake again.” He watched the other curl up with a pillow and slowly try and get his breathing normal. There was a care felt for this man but he didn’t know If it was him, if it was a real feeling bleeding over or just because this man was all his had in the world. Either way, he watched him for a moment longer, just until he started slipping into sleep before he left and returned to his task.

After looking through the kitchen and sniffing the different tea before choosing the best, he returned to the study and picked up the book he had dropped and continued to flip through it.

——————————————

Tony woke up, he didn’t know how long he slept but it did seem to be somewhat darker from what he could tell through the cracks of light through the curtains. He stretched and rolled over, jolting as his hand hit something, or more like, someone. He was about to ask why he was in bed with him but he guessed there was only one bed and it might be rude to send the _most-likely-but-not-certain_ owner of the house to the couch.

The long hair man rolled over and looked back at him, eyes squinting as his face glowed from the blue light in his own chest. Right, that thing.

“Hey… Tall, Dark and Magic.”

“Hello, Tony Stark. Are you faring any better?”

Tony nodded, while everything was still weird and confusing, he had at least calmed down. It wasn’t even finding out he had body modification of a night light in his chest that he has no memory of getting, it was it being touch that cause the bolt panic through him. It took him a while to even recognising it as panic as it had been directionless emotionally. His mind not knowing why he didn’t want it touched but still causing all the physical reactions of anxiety all the same.

“Though I feel like everything we have found about us so far has just caused more questions than answers.” He sighed.

“Well, I have one more answer at least.” the magic man just smiled and reached back at his bed side table and dropped a heavy book right on Tony’s lap. Tony gave him a look before he sat up and opened it, the first page held glittering gold bordering and calligraphy designs, all sounding a bright green hand written lettering. Tony traced his fingers over the green, the same colour as the man’s armour. He smiled back at him before holding out his hand.

“Hi, I’m Tony Stark.”

“Hello, Tony Stark, my name is Loki Odinson of Asgard.” Loki clasped his hand to Tony’s forearm.

———————————————————

Now with the basic knowledge of knowing their own names was out of the way, they had much greater questions to answer. They had spent around a week mostly resting and reading those files, Loki’s own aches were gone in a day but the mortal was still bruised up so they kept it easy. Still with all the files they were able to make connections.

The people who were after them were powerful. They had a collection of strengths and weaknesses for each member. The organisation they were a part of, what the public knew about it and what they don’t know. They gained a few bits and pieces of Tony’s life, he was someone famous, someone who _had_ made weapons, someone who stopped but had the great piece of armour which was still sprawled out and damaged on the floor or the living room. They knew they were on Midgard-

“Earth!, come on just call it Earth, even I remember it’s called that.”

And they knew that he wasn’t from here, but how he got from Asgard to “Earth” there was nothing. How he and Tony had become partners, they also did not know but Loki had some unspoken ideas involving the power created by the device in Tony’s chest.

What he did find was the beginnings of a plan, finding an item, after checking it was indeed his own script, making notes on boarders about finding a spear. But this plan would need to be placed on hold for now.

“So, if this…. _Group of extraordinary individuals_ are after us do we need to worry they are going to show up and finish the job?” Tony asked from where he sat on the counter, wearing Loki’s clothes which all hung ill on his more compact frame. He was buttering bread and planned to instruct Loki on how to make Earth style sandwiches. Loki leaned with his hip on the counter, Tony’s thighs grazing against his own.

“What have you noticed about the sky?” Loki questioned him with a smirk, already having explored that question himself. Together they had easily established that they were both _very smart_. He liked testing it. Tony stopped mid swipe of the butter knife and started twisting around to look out all the windows he could see and there were a good few. the lounge room and living were wall to floor sliding glass panels and gave a good view outside the front of the house. There was a nice garden of many plants from different realms and low shrubs with a great verity of coloured flowers blooming from there with a single archway and wooden door that was double the shrubs hight in the middle. What you could see behind the wall of flowers just more blue and sparkling sky.

“We’re somewhere high? All the windows show blue sky and nothing higher than is, or maybe just flat lands going around for miles? We’re remote, I saw a lot of stars last night, like I swear a saw part of the Milky Way when it was barely dark. So… we have an _extremely_ isolated location?” He asked, staring back at Loki like he was trying to find what he was missing in his face.

“Come.” He held his hand up and helped Tony from the counter before they walked out the from, he was going to let go of the hand but since Tony didn’t release when he loosened his hold, he tightened it again and brought him to the door. “Behold.” He said and pushed the door open.

“Holy shit.” There was nothing, no downhill, no path, no cliff face. Just where the grass of the garden stopped and fell away to aqua glow which had been the morning sky from two hours ago. Not similar, but the exact same clouds and colours. Tony gripped harder at his arm and leaned forward.

“Are we in a skybox?” He asked disbelievingly but there was a smile on his lips.

“I don’t know how you use that term but it sounds rather spot on, we are in pocket dimension I believe, when I teleported us it was shamefully without intent or direction besides getting us to safety. This was the last used path, but, if you step off here, _and only here_ inside with the door-” Loki stuck his free hand forward and it pushed through the sky and disappear and suddenly he felt heat a day much warmer than the one they were in encase his hand “we can return to Earth through an open doorway but no one should be able to find us or track us while we reside here.” Tony stuck his hand out and laughed.

“God, this is amazing.” He said and it effected Loki but he tried not to show his proud smile.

“Thank you, I am rather good, aren’t I?” Tony gave him a little shove before he inched his way forward and stuck his head through the doorway before jolting back.

“There is a desert out there, Yeah I doubt someone will find us. All the time in the world.” He looked up at the fake sky. “Hey, can you make changes to it?” He asked with a grin.

They should get back to figuring out the mystery but… well this strange human was still recovering and they could probably take a break. “Finish making these sandwiches you wanted to make and I’ll see what I can do. “

And then they spend the day messing with the sky, changing the colours, adding clouds shaped like different animals and with a long dragon swirling as if off in the distance. He moved it forward to the night and they made the moon bigger but denied the request to paint it like the amours helmet. But Loki’s favourite moment was them sitting next to each other on the porch, the human wrapped his finger around Loki’s wrists and he let Tony manipulate his arm so he could use it to write their names in red and green tinted star clusters. “There!” the mortal said proudly at the childish scrawl glittering across the sky. “Now we won’t need to look so hard to find our names next time.”

He kept staring at the man, more than the sky they had created, what were they to each other. Loki really wanted to know. They stayed out for hours, before they returned inside, they didn’t know what time it was now but Loki rolled the sky back until it was a late afternoon sky, only just fading into the red sunset with blushed clouds.

They spoke more on what they could remember of magic and science before it was late enough for them to start comparing ways to cook dinner with the well-stocked kitchen. They ended up making a mixture of what foods they seemed to like and they sat on the couched this time, still watching the absolute mess that the sky was now. When it grew late enough and they had both had turns with the shower they ended up back in the bedroom. Their met eyes, waiting to see if either would offer to take the couch but just like every other night they crawled back in together like they had the first night.

————————————————————————

It was hard to have any sense of urgency when they were literally in their own little world, they seemed more to end up talking and relearning about each other. Tony had fun thinking about wild stories about how they had met, how they joined together. “-And then we both reached for the gold ingots and our hands touched and it was fashion disasters at first sight.” He said while making them coffee, watching as Loki at slumped over on the table, he was alway slow to wake up.

It was a few days after they had painted the sky together. They hadn’t made much way in their investigation but Tony wasn’t as sore as he had been when he first arrived and with Loki’s help, he moved the suit to the kitchen and started tinkering with it. Tony assumed he didn’t do his building here and complained incessantly to Loki that past them should have stashed some tools here for him to use but he was set to figure it out. If it was repaired, they might be safe enough to leave their home and find some more info about what had happened. Right now, he didn’t know who else he could trust and didn’t want to risk not being protected. They had sorted the files and connected a few points but it still felt like they were missing a lot of context.

Working on the suit however was much more interesting. It was like doing a puzzle you half remember seeing the final image for. It seemed like it was more muscle memory than anything else. Just seeing wires and knowing where they needed to go and having to work backwards to knwo what they even did.

Loki was taking the more _spiritual_ approach to finding answers. He sat meditating on the seat of the lounge to learn more about his magic and try and unblock his memories that way. So, after being caffeinated they were both at their own projects and simply existing in the same space.

Tony really should leave well enough alone but any time he walked past and saw Loki he would just have to do something, wave in front of his face, hover around his back, make faces at him. It was when he was snack break that Tony felt daring enough to bend down, edging closer and closer, until their noses were nearly touching. Loki abruptly opened his eyes and gave a cry of “Surprise!” and then had to snap out a hand and grab Tony by his shirt to stop him falling back into the coffee table as he jumped from surprise. Loki pulled him too forcefully and instead sent him the other way and crashed into the mage, barely avoiding their heads colliding with Tony half collapsed on his lap.

Tony pushed himself up, looking sheepishly at the other before they broke into grins and started laughing again. “Jeez, fuck you, that could have ended sooo badly.”

“Oh yeah, this was surely my fault. Though it seems I’ve saved you again, little Midgardian.” Loki relaxed back into the chose, not really bothered by the human atop of him.

“Looks like I owe you, huh.” Tony hummed draping his arms over the man’s shoulders. There was a sudden heat to it. They just watched each other for a moment, Tony idly brushed his finger through Loki’s hair. “How does an alien magician and human with an inbuilt flash light join together? You wouldn't know how things worked here, maybe I’ve saved you before. We don’t really know the score so keep that in mind.”

“They must have met.” Loki said, a hand sliding up Tony’s thigh. “They must have gotten along very well. Technology and magic from different realms make for an interesting combination, don’t you agree? Magic might have been more useful than your technology while we’re in this realm. I might have saved you hundreds of times over.”

“Ha, you wish your magic glow out shone mine.” Tony laughed but Loki’s expression stayed simmering where he watched him. For a moment they didn't move or say anything. Just looking at each other, so very close. Loki started to slowly lean in. There was a flash of some other emotion of Tony’s face and all too soon, the man cleared his throat and pushed off of him. “Come on, I’ve made you tea as well.”

"Tony... okay, thank you." He waited a few second before he stood and followed behind. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings and heroings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is all going to be in an ambiguous time line, one where Loki is just doing his mischief and the avengers are doing their thing, kinda like a while before Ultron I guess.

The next few days held some awkwardness, they fell back into how they normally acted but neither could escape that the tension between them had been acknowledged. The carelessness they had before when sharing the bed was gone now, with each other trying so hard to keep from touching the other in case it sent any wrong messages. Which when compared to the first say where they would have a few limbs crossing over and occasionally woke, pressed against the other. 

Tony hated this but he felt not sharing the bed would be petty and childish. Now he threw himself into try to fix this armour. Managing to only burn his finger a couple of times when his eyes would involuntarily drift to stare at Loki.

The mage had started unlocking a few of his own abilities and had a rapidly growing list of spells he could perform. This did help distract them both from their own thoughts, as how can you bother to stay awkward when the man could light his hands on fire, freeze objects solid or fling them across the room _with his mind_. It was amazing and Tony couldn’t help but gush over each incredible thing he could do. 

Tony too had now taken apart of toaster to help with soldering and repairing the armour's wiring. He was getting better at his craft, often pointing at appliances and explaining how they worked and what he could change in them to make them better or something else entirely. Loki would seem amazed and ask questions while encourage Tony to take apart any of the smaller appliances they could live without. He didn’t think it was at all interesting when compared to magic but without fail he would let Tony rant at him when he was stuck, all while looking at him with those bright eyes and praised his way of thinking. It flustered Tony more than once.

His mind would slip some times. The thought rising to the forefront of his mind whenever his focus on not thinking it slipped away. What was the true nature of their relationship? 

Were they reading things from nothing? This house only had one bed but spare parts from the man’s metal work. Maybe he had just come over for a visit, to explain things. Why wouldn’t he stay for a while when this home was obviously safer than anywhere on Earth. It didn’t have to mean anything. He might just paying the mage for some work, he could be abusing a dynamic. This was giving Tony a headache. 

“Another problem?” Loki whispered right at his ear, making the man jump.

“Damn it, Loki!” Tony had almost knocked a robotic arm off the table. Loki laughed and gently placed a cup of coffee next to him. Tony stared at the steaming mug. 

“Just helping to get you more alert. It seems to work much faster than this tonic does.” The man was smirking in that bastard way he does when he was up to mischief.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, all for my benefit, how kind you are… asshole.”

“Call me, if you need anything.” Loki laughed as he walked away and Tony wrapped his fingers around the mug, feeling the heat sink into his skin and smiled softly at the gesture.  
  
"I'm so fucked."

————————————————————————

As much as the man tried to create some casual distance between them, they helplessly fell back into snark and flirtation. Loki found the man attractive and Tony obviously saw him the same was judging from all the looks he caught from the man when Tony didn’t know he could see him. They enjoyed each other’s company and everything was just so _easy_ with him. They fit together. Loki just couldn’t understand the hesitation from Tony.

They needed to talk.

The two sat outside, looking up at the child-like scribbled mess that was the sky they created together, eating a good meal and drinking some wine they had found. The human was trying to explain the internet to him but Loki barely listened. Just looking at his excitement and the shine in his eyes as he spoke.

“Tony Stark, I would like to kiss you.” He interrupted and watched as the human froze.

“You can’t just say something like that to me.” Which wasn’t an outright rejection. This was going better than planned already.

“why not?” he asked softly. He needed to understand.

“What if we get our memories back and it’s awkward, we could be with someone else, we could secretly hate each other-”  
  
“I couldn’t hate you, regardless of how annoying you can be.” He chuckled and moved in closer but wouldn’t push, not until Loki was sure it would be accepted.

“What if you’re wrong, what if we fix ourselves and we realise we were just work colleagues or something. You’re handsome and talented, you could have a wife or husband, or… or… a string of dedicated lovers! Besides, I am definitely too old for you, what would you want with man like me when you could have anyone you wanted.”  
  
“Well I do know you Midgardian’s don’t live as long as we do, what are you, almost 2000? I don’t think you be too ahead of me.”

“What… okay, we can come back to the age things later because I feel that’s a whole other conversation. Look Loki, I just…” Tony seemed to struggle with his thoughts for a moment before he dropped his head and made a frustrated noise.

Loki reached for his hand, brushing his thumb over the man’s worn knuckles “You just…?”

“We’re _going_ to get our memories back, I don’t want to get hurt because believing in us, what we could have… it’s so easy to do. It’s something that _I want_ to do, I want it too much. I want to imagine us as some heroes, fighting together, being together but… all we know is each other. How can we be sure?”

It was a heartbreakingly valid train of thought. They didn’t know anything for sure, there would be doubt until their minds recovered what they had lost. “Tony.” Loki spoke his name softly and dropped his forehead gently against the other man’s “I won’t push you, if you truly don’t want this-”  
  
“No! It’s not that I don’t wan-” Tony interrupted but Loki pressed his finger to the man’s lips to silence him.  
  
“If you can’t confidently reciprocate, I do understand but I will tell you now… I would think even if we were just colleagues or practically strangers too each other, what we have found now in each other… I believe it may be worth any awkwardness in the future. But, in saying this, I will not begrudge your answer, I do understand your reasoning completely. I can wait until we are whole to fully explore what could be between us. Just please… allow me this one selfish action.” And with that Loki tilted his head back up and pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s cheek, the warmth lingered there even after Loki pulled away. “Now if you would excuse me.” Tony was left blinking, holding a soft and fragile feeling in his chest as he watched the other man walk away. 

————————————————————————

Once again Tony found himself with a new drive to keep working hard on his armour. He was fighting with himself over what he wanted and what he thought was right. He just needed more time to think. Judge if he thought risking an unknown outcome on what he wanted so badly. He had been on auto pilot all day, soldering a few wires when the light in the machine’s eyes flickered to life. Tony gave a great cry of triumph. “I am amazing!”

Loki ran in and he had such a proud and gentle look to him that it almost diminished his own joy and replaced it with a need to smack it off his face. He ignored it because what else could he do. “Okay, let’s see. Cross your fingers for me.” He called out and the bastard dared to look confused yet entwined his fingers, from hand to the other in his interpretation of that phase. How fucking dare he keep doing this, it was heart melting. But Tony just said “Close enough.” To him and tried to get back into the suit. 

Once it closed around him it seemed to be on low battery mode but it started charging. the device in his chest seemed to be good for something at least. “I think I’m charging this thing.” He called out. And then the screen in front of him blinked to life.

**“Emergency mode activated. Systems damaged. Reboot required.”**

It was a British voice with a slight robotic reverb. The suit spoke, hot damn, he is such a genius. "Um yeah Hi, can you just… reboot systems?”  
  
 **“Reboot required.”**

“I am giving you a verbal command to reboot the systems.”

**“Reboot required.”**

“Okay, okay I get it Jeeves.” He murmured before yelling out to the mage watching him. “I’m going to need things we don’t have to do any more but I can move in this at least.” he walked around with only minimal metal grinding on metal though he made a note of where mobility was wonky. “it’s mainly the software that has issues, hardware just needs some tweaking but I can stretch out in thing now-” he had been raising his arm and hand to test it when sudden hum and then the windows shattered and one of the bushes outside exploded. “-shit!”

“Well… that is fascinating.” He looked back at Loki who had stumbled back in surprise but now came closer, looking very intrigued. “I wonder what else you can do…. Maybe let’s step outside the house when testing that?”

“haha, yeah, lets.” He laughed and carefully watched through the broken window. “Okay so I think their is meant to be a a targeting system but without getting into the system i need to do this by eye-” Part of the hedge exploded. “My bad. I’ll go slower.”

“I don’t know if I have any other safe houses so will you take some care!” Loki yelled but it was hard to take him seriously when he was laughing. “Try this.”

With some moves of his hands there was a sparkling magpie now sitting on the shrubs, preening itself.”  
  
“…I can’t just kill a bird.”  
  
“it’s an illusion!”  
  
“It’s a really life-like illusion!”

“Shoot the bloody bird, Stark!” and for the next while Tony practised his aim against the poor bird which when he finally would hit it, would explode in a puff of glitter before reappearing elsewhere.

It took a few tries but Tony was glad to see how quickly he got used to the control. This muscle memory thing was incredible. Eventually Tony’s charge started getting low again so he stopped. “I wonder what else this thing can do.” He tried out a few different poses but nothing else worked.  
  
“I know this can do something more!” he said in frustration after a while, not knowing what else to do after only managing to trigged lifting the helmet up.

“Tony, you have made amazing progress in a single day alone, you keep saying you don’t believe my magical capabilities but seeing your technological marvel… it is something I am now at awe with, I can hardly believe there is something like this in your world. I did not know Midgard could hold such wonders, such brilliance.” The mage cupped Tony’s cheek in his hand.

“naww Loki, so you’re still taking me to the prom even in my duds?” Tony asked, rocking back and forth on his heels, when he rocked to the ball of his feet, there was a click and then. “Oh, oh shit!” Tony flew up in a burst of power and flailing limbs.

The propulsion from his feet knocked Loki down on his ass but the man didn’t seem to care. “You can fly!”

He could fly.

It took a little coordinating as his hand boosters activated as well but he managed to stable himself and just hover. Loki stared up at him in awe. “I’m fucking amazing!” he cried out.

**“Battery depleted.”**

the power cut and he fell in a sprawled mess on the ground.

————————————————————————

The crafty Midgardian was practically vibrating on the couch where he sat with wires from the suit attached to his glowing heart ‘charging’ whatever powers used to work the suit. It had been amazing seeing the man fly above him. It was all Loki could do to just hold the man and cheer sweet nothing in his ear for this victory.

It was clear to see how they would make such a formidable pair. But they were still no closer to finding their memories or how they had even been taken from them. Loki sat at the table and tapped his fingers, looking over the papers. Maybe they were prepared enough to start taking risks.

“Tony. What would you say to a venture outside?”

“Well, I would have more room to stretch my wings… because as you know, I can fly now.”

Loki huffed in amusement. “Yes, Tony, I saw.”

He took a few papers and made his way to the couch next to the man and spread them out. “So far we have gathered that this shadow organisation, Strategic Homeland Intervention- by the lords that is a tedious name- the organisation has a public front which is still involved with spies and espionage-"

“Why did they even bother having a public front then? Maybe we haven’t taken them down yet because they are so adorable in their attempts.”

“Maybe so.” Loki continued. “The hidden side they are entwined with is called Hydra, which from what we have read-”  
  
“Are evil fucking Nazi’s who are downright despicable and are messing with things they probably don’t understand."

“Including the spear.” Loki pointed to some of his handwriting around the pages. “The shadow organisation took this spear and then it disappears, only, we can see that they merely gave it to Hydra and are keeping it in a storage facility in… whatever that location is, I don’t know your Earth geography.”

Tony laughed and seemed to digest everything for a few seconds “You want to go get the spear.”

“It was what he had planned to do, maybe we can see where we went wrong, what they used against us. If anything, we’ll at least know that we have it so they cannot do anything unwise with it.”

Tony hummed “It does seem like a big facility; we could maybe try and find some computers and equipment I could also ‘reclaim’ and use it to reboot the suit. We have pretty much tapped out what where can currently do here. As long as you can get us back here if things go south.”

“That I can do.”

“Okay, time to go be the big damn, heroes again.”

————————————————————————

Tony crouched in the snow watching the glowing building protruding over the tree tops, it had taken a while for them to figure out how to get to Sokovia, a lot of staring at a world map and Tony speaking every detail of his limited knowledge about the area is Europe. Tony was tempted to try and find a place to get internet access but he was a public figure and they decided it wasn’t worth the risk of him being recognised when they still didn’t know all the allies from foes. They bounced around for a little while before they eventual found the place.

Tony had been practicing his flying and scouted out the area, staying low and by the tree and cliff line before returning to this spot and waited. Loki had teleported home just in case they lost their memories again, so they would again, return back there.

The magic user finally appeared again, eating a grilled chicken sandwich.

“Really, is this what took you so long?” Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I used a lot of energy finding this place.” Loki said defensively.  
  
“right… did you make me one.”  
  
“Yes. I made a few, but I ate the others before coming back.” The man smirked and practically inhaled half the sandwich.  
  
“Hey!” he stage whispered, grabbing the man’s wrist in his hand so he could take one big bite before letting him finish the rest. “Okay, now remember, this is a super serious mission.”  
  
“The utmost super serious mission. You have a little-” Loki rubbed his thumb on the corner of Tony’s mouth before licking the aioli off of his thumb. “There, now you look the part of an infiltrate.”

“Thanks. Now we gotta focus, all that blue shimmery stuff, that’s like a barrier. I think I know where the power source is and we’ll need to disable that to get in-”

“Magic.” And again, Loki was gone from his side only to return back with a shimmer of magic and a frown.  
  
“it’s blocking my magic. I defer to you, oh technological mage.”

“Oh, I see, this is why you needed me, huh? Some one’s making you a bit impotent. Don’t worry it can happen to a lot of men, not to me of course, but I certainty wont judge.”

“Well in that case, I’m sure me sticking my fingers into all those gaps in your armour won’t make it go limp again, well not again, it’s not like it has been laying on our living room floor for weeks before this.”  
  
Tony scoffed in offence “You think you’re so cute.”  
  
“You do not think me attractive?”   
  
“No, I mean- I don’t not… hey, look, is that an access panel I see?” he ignored Loki’s chuckling as they made their way down closer. After a quick planning session, Loki teleported them both inside, quickly getting his arm around the neck of the man in the booth, Tony had said to choke him out but there was a loud snap and he fell from Loki’s grip like a rag doll.  
  
“Jesus, Lokes.” He whispered but he quickly hid himself under the desk as someone approached the booth in their car. Loki already held the illusion of looking like the man he just killed. Well… they were just Hydra agents, not like it was a great loss. Loki barely checked them and Tony whispered for what he needed to press to let them through.

Once they were gone, he stood up and looked at all the controls. Loki translated a few things for him and some buttons and pulled wires later. The blue shimmer of the barrier dropped.

It was chaos.

People were running to their booth so Tony looked over the body and found a grenade, pulling it before Loki teleported them both into the actual compound. a few seconds later he heard the muffled explosion through the walls.  
  
“Much better.” Loki said “Guess I don’t require you anymore, you can go home.”  
  
“Ha ha. Come on, Smart ass.” Tony replied.

They walked through the facility; Loki moved through the hallways like a shadow while Tony through them like a clunking and glowing shadow but luckily the alarms and explosions had most of the baddies running outside. They didn’t know exactly which room the spear would be in, only the general area so they went door to door. Working quickly and quietly. Regardless of the other’s teasing they did find a few poor with electric locks and key pins or hand prints needed which Tony was able to bypass without setting off any more alarms. I

One of the rooms he broke contained a computer lab but it was filled with people. Tony peaked through the door, it’s opening unnoticed for now and looked back at Loki. The magic user giving a twirl of his fingers as a long, wicked dagger appeared in his hand. It might be their only shot.

They stormed into the room, by the door there had been a few guards quickly going for their guns but in a flash, Loki had thrown daggers into their necks. Tony headed right into the room, using his hand repulsors to pick off all those other scientists at the computers, their blasts knocking them off their feet and into tables and walls. It was over in less than a minute before Tony was rushing through the room collecting what he thought they might need while Loki stalked between rows of computers making sure they hadn’t missed anyone would would raise and alarm.

“Okay, Okay I think is will be everything I need but how are we-” Loki gave a swirl of his hands and the computer and data storage and everything else he had piled disappeared. “I love your magic, truly, madly and deeply. Have I told you that?” Tony told them and this time Loki flushed a bit. 

“You can stand to compliment me more; I do deserve it.” He replied before they were out and running again.

He was starting to get worried about how long they had been here when they entered a tunnel and came out into a large storage warehouse. “Holy shit.”

The room as immense yet contained so much in its space. Robotry, weapons, artefacts, things he couldn’t even identify. Hanging above it all, stretching along the room was a colossal, armoured creature. He walked into the room, not even checking if anyone else was in here and looked up at the face of it.  
  
“Tony? Is this a creature from your realm?” Loki asked with a frown as he stared up at it as well.  
  
“No… I don’t know what that thing is. Just that it is scaring the hell out of me, Lokes.”  
  
“I as well.” The mage looked similarly shaken by it. Tony took his hand and tugged him along. “Let’s find that spear quickly and blow this joint.” He gave the hand a reassuring squeeze and then Loki looked down at him and did the same.

They explored the room, some of the equipment was also taken for Tony’s benefit, he might be able to properly patch up his suit now. Maybe Loki could add a basement to his little pocket dimension for him to use a work shop.  
  
“There.” Loki rushed over to the Spear, it was shorter than Tony expected but was nicely designed and seemed to be very lethal with a gem in it which pulsed with magical energy. he was surrounded by a ring of blue and as Loki reached out to touch it his fingers stopped a breath from the ring.  
  
“This will react to my magic, would you grab that for me darling?

“Anything for my Loki-doki.” Tony replied with some flourish, Tony swung his arm out and snatched the spear from its hold. “Do I look good with a spear, maybe I could become a sorcerer.” Tony wiggled his eyebrows at Loki before trying a few poses with the spear.

Loki laughed and Tony was glad to hear it. “Oh, I’m sure you would be formidable one indeed, it would only take a few centuries to become skilled in the arts. I would enjoy helping you learn.”  
  
“Ooof, might leave it to you. I don’t think I could handle being a novice for that long. For anything. Let’s just stay being the pretentious masters of what we already do.”

Loki did another hand trick and the spear was now gone from his grip. They had completed their mission. He was about to ask if they were going to head back now, even if it seemed to be a bit of an anti-climactic end when Loki lit his hand aflame, looking up at the great creature again. “You said something about blowing this place, yes?”  
  
Tony spied form barrels with the flammable warning sign on them which were just begging to be kicked over. “Yes, I did.”

————————————————————————

Loki teleported them once again, back to where they had first arrived, he was tired now after using so much magic but he was very satisfied with how the day had gone. They huddled at the cliff face, Tony’s helm flipping up as he gave a count down and then-

 **Bang!** The research facility lit up in a blaze of cleansing fire, whatever fearsome evils and creatures where in there would be gone now. Maybe it could have been useful to see what else they held in there but they were mostly doing this hero thing by ear and it seemed more important to stop these people than anything else.  
  
“Hahaha we did it!” Tony cried and tackled him into the snow, mindless of his metal shell but Loki just hugged him back, laughing with him.

“Indeed, we did… that was rather satisfying wasn’t it? Dare I say, fun, even.”

Loki looked up at the man above him and he knew he was probably baring some affection for him but he couldn’t help it. Tony too met his eyes and something softened in them, he was so caught up in that look he didn’t realise the man was setting him up for a horrific betrayal until a handful of snow was being pushed into it face.

“Tony!” he cried out and pushed the other off of him. “You have made a great enemy this day, come here.” Loki gave chase but Tony blasted off into the woods. Loki gathered ice in his hands and rand and ducked between trees. Red and gold wasn’t hard to see in the monochrome landscape and he saw the man, hiding himself behind a fallen log. He remained low and slowly came closer until with a cry he pegged the man in the face before running off as now Stark was after him.

A ball of snow flew passed his head as he ducked and weaved, he looked back to see the other running in his armour. He wasn’t looking forward. Suddenly he was clipped hard in the chest, the air knocked from his lungs and he might have heard the crack in his sternum but he decently felt it. He dropped onto his back, gasping in pain.  
  
“Loki, you will tell me what you have done with Stark!” A man, not a man like Tony was, more like himself, walked up to him with much intimidation. He had blond hair and a blood red cape he raised his arm and a hammer flew into his hand. Wasn’t too hard to guess it was that which had been knocked into him.  
  
“You.” Loki hissed, he had seen this villain when he and Tony had come to on that road. “Well, if you want to see what I have done with Stark, just walk a few miles that way towards the smoke. I’ll wait here for you.” He pushed himself to sit up. He hadn’t seen stark yet and for that he was grateful.  
  


————————————————————————

  
Tony had just seen Loki get dropped, his heart was in his throat but he knew it was stupid to just run out and follow him. He hid behind some vegetation and for a moment just watched. “Shit…. Shit.” He just needed to get to Loki and they could bamf out of here. His faceplate closed and he calculated the best route he could take to get to him. Who ever that would seemed to be pretty aggressive and if that was enough t take Loki down it might break him in half. He'll need to creep up closer and get him when the other's are distracted.  
  
“Ironman? Tony is that you? Look buddy, I’m going to need you to step out of the suit okay.” Came a firm voice. He turned and saw a woman, red haired and in a black suit. He seemed to be holding some kind of glowing blue. “Come on Stark, we don’t want anyone else to get hurt. We'll fix what ever was done to you but I'm going to need to to cooperate.”

Tony put his hands up in surrender “Okay, okay I’m stepping out just don’t hurt him.” he said, trying to sound pathetic.  
  
“Him?” was all she could say before Tony blasted her with a repulsor and she flew back landing in the snow, knocked out. For now, at least. He could end her like all the other Hydra fucks back at the base but he heard Loki talking, yeah, he needed to get to him.

There was suddenly a roar of an engine and above them he could see a large black jet. Time to fucking move.  
  


————————————————————————

“Loki, what have you done?” The blond said, looking back at him from where he obviously saw one of his bases was burning.

  
“You didn’t think whatever you did would keep me down for long, did you?” He abruptly threw an ice dagger at the blond and scrambled up. His chest burned but he pushed through it. The dagger missed but allowed Loki to get some space between them. “Have at me, villain.” 

“Loki… brother!”

But Loki didn’t let him speak any more and threw a few more blades of ice. Trying to kite the man and watching the hammer very closely to try and evade it when thrown. “You’re a strong brute I will give you that, but you will not succeed in your evils.”

Loki watched the black jet fly up a head and landed a landed close by, they would be outnumbered in a moment. “What? Wait Loki, listen-” he started but this time he was cut off two other who had been running out of the now landed jet started yelling.  
  
“Get him! I’ll find Stark.” One carrying a shield yelled as an archer started pulling out and arrow.  
  
“You will not touch him!” Loki yelled and while he was dwindling in his magic reserves, he had a few tricks he slammed his hands down in the snow and watched it draw up into a large wolf of earth and snow. It barrelled towards them, knocking the hammer wielder away and going for the other two. Leaping quickly enough to catch the flown arrow in its icy maw before it could hit him.

“Wait, what did you-”  
  
“brother, listen to me-”

Loki leaned against the tree, ignoring them and desperately looking around for a flash of red and gold and then he saw it and he was flooded with relief. “Hell of a way to cheat at a snow ball fight, Lokes.” Tony called as he ran to him, grabbed at his side with one arm while he raises the hand and middle finger of his other. “So long, you Hydra fucks!” Tony yelled and with that he teleported them away.

————————————————————————

They landed in their living room again and Tony quickly scrambled out of his armour to look over Loki. “Are you okay? I saw how he took you down that was brutal. Fuck, if that had happened to me I would be nothing but a red smear in the snow.” Tony panicked and started undoing the leather over Loki’s chest, he just saw a glimpse of the dark purple bruising before cold, pale hands closed over his own.  
  
“Tony, Tony breathe.” Loki said gently. “I’m fine, I will heal, you know this. Take a deep breath for me. You are a mortal, anything that could kill me would leave a mortal as a smear, but a mortal wasn’t hit this evening. Now, deep Breath.” Tony did, and then another until his mind slowed down a bit. “I lost sight of you, are you okay?”  
  
“Me? Yeah I’m fine. Some crazy red head found me but she wasn’t ready for my repulsors.”  
  
“I am pleased that you are well, I was worried about you. My crafty little mortal.”

Tony looked at that soft and hopeful expression and he was either going to cry or kiss the man. So, he kissed him. It was desperate and dirty but he just needed this, he had needed it for weeks but after seeing Loki knocked into the snow like that her just had to. Loki, however, did kiss back but it was soft and restrained. Tony pulled back “Sorry, I know, I know what I said before But I change my mind, I want this. Loki I am certain I want this. If they are coming after us, well, fuck all those awkward nights I’d rather have you now even like this.  
  
“You are certain, because know, no matter what we remember, no matter how estranged our relationship may be, I will fight to keep having you. I want you Tony Stark, for as long as I can have you.”  
  
The taller man held his face in his hands and make Tony look up at him, god, he was gorgeous “I’m sure, Loki. I'm literally unsure about everything in my life right now, but not what I want from you. Kiss me."

They clutched each other and kissed to seal the promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
> 
> cracks start to appear

That night, there was no room between them as they fell asleep. Curled up against each other, content in the new development in their relationship. Softly exploring with curious hands and welcoming lips. Tony caressed his side, staying away from his chest which had a bloom of dark purple and red at its centre. “We match… kind of.” Tony told him with a roguish smile which hid the worry which could still be seen in his eyes. Loki circled his fingers over the metal in Tony’s chest, not touching it directly but feeling the thrum of its energy and the heat of Tony’s skin. Where those people responsible for this or any of the scars littered around the mortal’s body? He would rip them apart limb from limb. He would have Tony join him in it and then rise as the best warriors for this planet for the rest of their days. Was he sounding overly romantic? This human is making him a maudlin. 

He woke up with Tony’s hair pricking at his chin and it was the best way to start the morning. The injury transformed into a yellowish mess by the time they raided the kitchen in search of tea and coffee. The human didn’t bother to try and hide the slight jealousy over him being able to heal so fast. While their home was small enough as it was, for the day they lived out of their bedroom. Killing time with more menial tasks as they processed what had happened. 

Tony was fiddling with circuitry while Loki, having given up on reading, rested his head in the man’s lap. Occasionally those rough fingers would tangle in his hair. Those small gesture were almost enough to distract him from his thoughts but only almost. “The villain who did this… he called me brother.” Loki said, confused and frustrated as he pictured that brute.

“He doesn’t really look like you, definitely not as handsome as you are. That’s for sure.” Tony said with an amused turn on his lips, softening Loki's edge.  
  
He nodded. “That is true but he could have meant brother’s in arms. He is an Asgardian, like me. How we both ended up on Earth, it would be too much of a coincident to assume it was independent of each other.”

“You think you have a connection to those assholes?” the man asked curiously and he heard the clatter of metal being placed down on the bed-side table. 

Loki gave a great sigh. “I have no idea. Just thought I’d mention it. I wouldn’t want to hide it from you. I know we assumed as much, but we must have some history with them, something more than us just blowing up their things.” though he really enjoyed blowing up the base and the odd artefacts they had kept. He would have been paranoid if that great dead creature continued to exist. He didn't know just what it was about that thing that got to him.  
  
“Maybe they are our arch-nemesises. Every hero needs one of those. Tony hummed and winded a curl around his finger. “The red head - _oh yeah, she called me Ironman, i don't know if it was a joker or ironic but i kinda liked it, keep that in mind_ \- anyway, she said something like ‘we can fix what he did to you’ so they _do know_ something about what happened to us. If they didn’t do this themselves. They could have meant him as that caped blondie, he would know magic like you, right?”  
  
“I don’t know, I don’t think that type of magic is that common. I have tried to feel for another’s magical signature, in fact that was the first thing I had tried but no foreign magic is affecting us. Maybe it’s true and they can fix us... or maybe they just want us to come to them and fall into a trap.”  
  
“But we’re not going to go to them.” Tony said firmly.  
  
“No, I don’t think we are that desperate yet.” Loki gave a louder sigh. “Just more questions here to plague us. Seems to be our lot, these days.”  
  
“Hey.” Tony, slid his hand over Loki’s neck and under his chin, tilting his head so Loki looked up into the bright brown eyes. “I know, your mind will just keep going in circles trying to figure out our lives, i was getting lost in it too. But now you need to remember. We just had a victory! The two of us went into that mission at a great disadvantage and we still won! I think it’s time to celebrate a little, don’t you think.”

“Ah, yes, you are completely right. You are a smart man, Tony.” Loki rolled over so he could lift up and kiss him, still relishing in the fact that he could kiss him now.

“Yeah, I’m a genius, and I have the perfect plan for how we can mark this occasion.”  
  
“Oh, do you now?”

————————————————————————

“That is an excessive amount of bubbles, Stark.” Loki said looking at the large bath tub Tony had filled for them. Tony had made use of the tub a few times but as far he knew, Loki actually hadn’t been bothered to wait for it to be filled and so hasn’t use the tub yet. Not since they lost their memories at least. Tony walked into the bathroom carrying a tray of breakfast foods for them to share and a bottle of champagne. “Surely you don’t mean for us to eat while bathing?” he griped again.

“Live a little, would ya?” Tony said “This will be great, just trust me. Look at our house, you think we didn’t live like kings before? Give into the hedonism.” he placed the tray along the centre of the tub and turned off the water, testing the temperature with his hand. 

“I don’t know how well bacon and pancakes will last as it gets… steamy…” Tony didn’t pay attention to Loki’s trailed off complaint as he judged the temperature as perfect and started striping out of his borrowed clothes. Whoever he used to be, he didn’t think he had much shame, in fact that magazine cover did say he was doing photo shoots so he could consider it a fact. He didn’t feel any discomfort as kicked off his underwear and bared all to his companion. They had been in such close living quarters and they had both respected the other man’s privacy. But he didn’t think thing there was much to save for himself. Instead he focused on telling Loki about pancakes and how you should pour your own syrup and not let it sit in it and get soggy. As well as the differences of thick cut and thin bacon. When he looked back at him he noticed the man was fixated else where “-and you haven’t listened to a single thing I’ve said, have you?” Tony asked and Loki quickly looked back up at his face.  
  
“Something about pancake durability?”  
  
“This is very important human knowledge I’m sharing with you.” Tony tisked playfully before sauntering over to the sorcerer, tugging at his shirt. “You want me to turn around while you get in? If you’re feeling shy I will.”  
  
“The other day you were so conflicted about us, now you are mocking me for being shy?” Loki rolled his eyes but stepped back and started removing his clothes. Tony sat back against the counter and watched that pale skin be revealed. Loki paused with his fingers on the ties of his pants “I thought you were worried of my modesty. You are going to openly stare like that?”   
  
“You did.” Tony smirked and the other huffed a laugh and threw his shirt Tony's face. They were both naked. Tony gave an impressed wolf whistle. “You are so gorgeous.”  
  
“Then we are quite a match.” And Tony just had to press up against the man and kiss him within an inch of his life. They eventually did get in the tub, sitting at opposite ends, legs entwined, drinking from the bottle and sharing bites of the stack of pancakes. It was a decadent and it was perfect. They teased and flirted. Eventually the tray was no longer propped between them and Loki had moved to his side, sucking maple syrup off of Tony’s fingers before Tony repaid the favour. There was a god leaning over him, sharing sticky sweet kisses as their wet bodies slid together. If his life really was like this he was the luckiest man in the world.

He knew his expression would be pretty smug when he informed Loki “Nice to see you’re enjoying yourself.” When he felt the hard press of a cock on his hip. Loki moved back away from him. “No, No, that wasn’t a complaint.” Tony held on to his hips.  
  
“Do you mortal’s always move so fast?”  
  
“Life is short, might as well make it fun. Why, do you want to court me, bring me flowers and chocolate, maybe we should find a chaperone- oh fuck.” Tony moaned and Loki curled his hand around his cock.  
  
"believe me, I didn't want to wait. I thought more for your benefit but you are so deliciously eager, aren’t you?” have you missed my touch. Loki's grip was firm and he gave a long, slow stroke. 

“Okay be gentle with me, it’s my first time… that I remember right now.” 

“Darling, I will treat you well.” He purred. and Loki's hands were talented. For a moment he wished that this did feel familiar in any way. That he would suddenly know that these hands had touched him thousands of times before. But the novelty of it still had it's charm. A charm which had Tony bucking up into his hand. 

Tony threaded his fingers into Loki's long hair and pulled him in for a filthy kiss as he smoothed his hand down the man's chest, down under the water to find that hard cock and made sure not to be out down by the space viking. They were panting shared breaths and displacing ripples of water and they moved in tandem. Learning or relearning how to touch each other, hearing or rehearing all those breathless, shaky moans, forcing their eyes to stay open and on each other to know their expressions when they are brought to climax. 

what was left of the water in the tub cooled against their feverish bodies as they regained their breaths. 

"Wow." Tony panted, holding Loki against his chest. "I think I just came out all my recent memories, I can't even think."  
  
Loki snorted into his chest. "Don't even joke about that, Stark." 

————————————————————————

Loki felt happy. 

regardless of all the worries and questions, those costumed wolves baying at their doors. He felt happy. 

He believed they could go on like this, slowly rebuilding a life together even if they didn't have all the answers. He would like to find out who they were, he wasn't completely abandoning their search for that. But he just made peace with what he had now. After they had lazed about in beed a while longer, they dressed in comfort and retuned to the grind. Tony searched through all the equipment they had liberated, making piles for what was useful and useless. Loki had only one item that he needed to investigate.   
  
"Go make some magic." Tony purred as Loki kissed over his face while setting down the man's cup of coffee. 

"And you go make some marvels." he replied and took his own mug of tea to the lounge. He summoned the spear, or Scepter as it looked to be, along the coffee table and inspected it. It was a powerful thing. Way more powerful than something found on Midgard should be, let alone left in that storage room with enemies. What's it doing here? 

he hovered a hand over it "huh."   
  
"find something?" Tony called out from his table.   
  
"No, not yet. Don't worry I'll let you know if I do." he called back. The Scepter held his magic signature within it, he had this wasn't the first time he had possession of it. he closed his hand around the metal. It lengthened in his hand. He finally had it back.   
  
"I am Loki, and I am burdened with a glorious purpose." He smirked before he quickly released his hold on it like it had burned him and let it fall back on to the coffee table with a loud metal clang.  
  
"What was that?" Tony called again from his spot.   
  
"I know what this is, it's the glow stick of destiny." he said looking back at ironman, no, it was Tony. Tony was laughing.   
  
"That's the perfect name for it."  
  
"Yeah, i thought I heard it from... from some where?" he frowned at looked back at the Scepter. Had it shown him something. It was gone so fast. He reached for it again but stopped short. He didn't want to touch it again. Why didn't he want to touch it again? He stared at the glowing blue gem, something was within that gem. What ever it was he didn't want to mess with it. He banished the Scepter.

When Tony tried to ask him about it he just waved it off and claimed those lips with his own until they stoped asking questions. 

————————————————————————

Tony expected more from gaining that staff but he hadn't seen it again in day but wasn’t going to start questioning Loki’s magic methods and instead focused on what he had gained from their venture. Computers. While in this bubble they didn’t really get wifi in their little bubble which dashed all his plans to show Loki a whole lot of movies and shows. They had a lot of information on Hydra and shield which they would again need to sort through but that could be for later.

His main focus now was jacking into the suit and fixing all the damaged software and rebooting it. Then he could really see what this baby could do. Writing code again was a weird experience, when he first looked at it was all just a mess of letters and numbers until he saw something that he knew didn’t belong in the sequence and he just had to not thing too hard and let himself do his thing.

It took a couple of days but eventually he was able to press the reboot button. Before scoffing at the great size and small speed of the loading bar. He poked his head out of the broken window and saw Loki practising with his daggers. “Hey, Lokes, this is gonna take a couple of hours, want to have some fun?”

The sorcerer imbedded the knife he had been holding into a poor tree stump before striding over to Tony with great intent. He didn’t even slow his step, just hook his arm around Tony’s waist and yanked him up over his shoulder as he headed straight for the bedroom. Ignoring the joking protest and half-hearted struggle he gave in return.

A while later, Tony had was showered and sporting a few hickies on his neck he returned back. The screen was blinking, the reboot was successfully completed. He was about to call Loki but he heard the shower was still going as Loki finished washing his long hair.

Tony grabbed the helmet and pulled it onto his head, the view he had from the helmet lit up with an overlay and he was ecstatic as he watched all this data and suit diagnostic light up. The armour was just as smart as he was apparently. 

**“Sir! Are you alright?”**

The voice he had heard before was back and this times, it was actually responsive. Tony cried in triumph at the sound of the voice. “Yes, hi, I’m fine… well, I think I had a bump on the head or something because I can’t remember anything but otherwise yeah, I’m alright. I’m working on it. But you're fixed, this is amazing. Tell me everything!”  
  
“ **Oh dear, are you saying you have retrograde amnesia? I am unable to sense your location, if you tell me where you are, I can send transport and a medical team to aid you in recovery. It's been months since you were last online.”**  
  
“haha yeah about that, I don’t really know for sure where I am right now. Loki can explain the whole dimension thing-”  
  
**“Sir! Loki is in the vicinity, are you still under threat?”**

Tony stuttered and a cold feeling settled in his chest. It was a machine, an AI, it didn’t have emotions but the urgency and tone in its voice as plainly heard. The question was on the tip of his tongue. Was Loki the threat? He just needed to ask it, all the information he needed to know about himself and the world would be in this machine he just needed to ask. Was Loki his ally? Maybe he read the intent of the AI wrong, he could be panicking over nothing. 

**“Sir, you vitals are rising at an alarming rate."**  
  
“Is… Is Loki-” Air seemed harder to take in, he was getting light headed at the panicked thought that they had misread everything so colossally wrong. The thought of Loki’s smile, the press of his lips, the way he held him and made him coffee and washed his hair. Tony pulled the helmet off and reached into the exposed he hadn’t yet recovered with the metal plating. It was a quick reflex out of fear but grabbed the pile of wires he had just fixed and ripped them out. He sat there in the silence staring at the now dark eyes of the helmet.

Loki found him a while later, with hair still wet and curling at the ends. he loved when Loki's hair was like that. Tony himself had moved outside, sitting on the porch and looking at the mess of a sky they had made together, a soup mug of coffee in his hands, too hot and slightly burning him but it at least made him feel more grounded. The taller man fitting behind himself, chest hot along Tony’s back, sharp chin resting against his head. “You alright, my darling one?” arms snuck under his own and pulled held him tight.

“Hey, Loki-doki.” he’d like to think he would be strong enough to even consider telling Loki about what he had found out but no, he didn’t even push himself to try. “Yeah, just a little disappointed, there is some corruption in the software which is preventing it from properly working again. It’s going to take a bit more tinkering and time.” He leaned back against Loki and close his eyes, focusing on his solid body, the feel of his nose at his neck, the damp hair tickling his skin.

Loki held him tighter. “You’re always so hard on yourself, Stark. You forget, you are a genius, you will figure this puzzle out. Just have some patience, I have faith in your abilities.”

“thanks, Lokes.”

————————————————————————

Something was wrong with Tony, he did believe that the man could be effected by all that work being for naught but Loki didn’t feel like that was the only thing. He was quiet throughout dinner and when they settled in for the night, the man seemed to bury himself into Loki’s chest. Holding just that bit tighter like they might lose each other. It made Loki worried but he didn’t know how to ask Tony about it.

Neither of them seemed to be able to sleep because he a small voce he heard Tony ask “What if we’re bad people? He called you brother, we could have been bad guys as well.”

Loki frowned but gave the question some thought “Well, I suppose there could be a chance but I don’t feel evil. I fell distressed when you nicked your finger with the cooking knife and such an injury couldn’t even do you real damage. I didn’t care for the Hydra’s lives but they were villainous, we both knew that. But i have no malice, not even a directionless feeling." he nuzzled into Tony's hair."With you, the fact that you seemed so distressed about us, about who you could be suggests you would be self-aware not to be someone who is carelessly ‘bad’.” Loki combed his fingertips over Tony’s scalp in a way he knew would comfort the man. “Good, bad, it is very subjective but the people of this land seem to see you as someone due praises, and rightly so in my -admittedly ill advised- opinion. You need not worry, for whoever you are I am sure you are perfect in my eyes.” Loki dropped a few kisses into his hair and even in the dark he was warmed at seeing Tony smile.

“You really know how to talk don’t you.” Tony chuckled and the weight of his anxiety appeared to loosen and leave the man rather drained.

“I can say with certainty, yes, talking seems to be one of my skills, thank you for noticing.” He kissed Tony’s forehead. “Will you tell me what brought this line of thinking on?”

“It’s nothing.”  
  
“ _Tony._ ” that was such a lie even a fool would be able to read that  
  
“No… no really it’s nothing. You know me, I just worry.” Tony said unconvincingly.   
  
“Okay I’ll drop it for now. But you know you can trust me. We're all we have in the world.” 

Eventually Tony did fall asleep but it was still elusive to Loki. When Tony’s heart had slowed enough, Loki carefully slipped out of his grasp and walked through their house. It truly had become _‘their’_ house. There were tomes of magic being use to keep robotic tools level, their favourite mugs stayed side by side on the table. He walked outside and again, smiled at their names emblazoned by stars as if they were gods of the lightyears of space stars spanned across. He loved this life with Tony. He loved Tony.

He thought of the incantation and with his hands ripped into one of his dimensional pockets and pulled out the spear again. He held it tight and looked into the gem. The longer he held it the more the fog on his mind lifted. the clarity was incremental and temporary for now but in this moment, it was enough.  
  
Poor Stark had no idea. They truly were in a bit of a mess, weren’t they.

————————————————————————

Tony’s sleep was fitful, he rolled over and reached out for his companion but he an empty bed. “Lokes?” he called blearily. No answer came. He stepped out quietly, looking for Loki, he was easy to find, the spear he held lit up blue just like Tony’s own inbuilt night light.

He stepped bare foot out into the simulated night, he was going to called out to Loki but he was standing still, unnervingly still. Just staring into the blue light. It made tony really nervous and he didn’t even know why. He waited, opening his mouth a few times to ask him what he was doing but each time the words died in his mouth, not wanting to disturb the quiet.

Without any prompting Loki turned on his heels, saying no words and he took a few steps forward, coming to stand right before Tony. There was a look in his eyes, he didn’t know if it was the blue light reflecting off of them of but he looked intense. It was the first time he looked cold and alien to Tony. He was calculating something and he saw the moment Loki reached an answer.   
  
“Loki…” he said weakly.

Loki twirled the staff and stabbed it into the ground before he rose his hands up and cupped Tony’s face in them.  
  
“Oh my god, stop, stop Loki, fuck your hands are freezing! What the hell.” Tony struggled but Loki just chuckled and only let him go so he could wrap his arms around his body. “Fuck, Loki you need to stop pulling these types of pranks, my heart literally might not be able to take it.” Tony deflated into Loki’s chest.  
  
“I’m sorry, Tony, I didn’t mean to scare you that much. I just saw the chance and couldn’t help myself. Are you alright?” Loki asked and pecked kisses all over Tony’s face.

“No!" he said first, then "Yes, but you’re on thin, fucking ice, Lokes. What were you even doing? I woke up and you were gone only to see you getting possessed or something.”  
  
“No possession, I promise. I just… hoped to find out more to help ease your troubled mind. I think there is something in the Scepter but I can't... remember what is is or how to reach it. It just slips through my fingers each time.”  
  
“What would ‘ease’ me is having your lily-white ass back in bed with me. We can figure it out in the morning, okay?”  
  
“Okay, Tony.” They shared another long and lingering kiss but when they separated Tony could see the spear was already banished away, leaving the only light about from his own chest and the fake sky. “Let’s go.”

————————————————————————  
  


By the time Loki nuzzled into Loki’s neck as they lay tangled together whatever he had remembered about himself from the spear was gone again. All he knew was that his memories could be uncovered with its power but every time he looked in, he never finished the process. Stark’s worries may be sounder than either had expected when they started this. Something had gone horribly wrong and he started to suspect that it all might be his fault. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finding something to believe in at midnight shopping run and in the skin of another person.

“Hey Lokes, sweetie” Tony called out through the house. “I think we gotta talk about this.”  
  
“About what?” an uncertain voice yelled back.  
  
“About the fact that we’re running out of food!”

There was no reply but soon enough Loki came padding along and looking into the big freezer and the open cabinets. “There is food right there.” He said looking around.  
  
“Yeah, I mean we have plenty of mince and canned stuff but staples, we need bread and pasta, I don’t know, just things to use with what we have left. Plus, having eggs again would be nice. milk too.”

Loki hummed and looked around for a moment, taking stock of their supplies. They had been on a work pause for a while. Loki knew there was something up with him but Tony too could tell Loki was hiding something as well. They were keeping busy with their own interests and with each other but they had stagnated. Which lead Tony too realise even with all the things they were avoiding, they needed food and he needed to get out of the house before he went completely stir crazy.

“You might be right.” Loki said, noting the empty spaces in their kitchen. “Alright, make a list and I’ll go out and-”  
  
“Here is my list.” Tony said taking Loki’s hand’s and holding them to the sides of his face. “It’s me, I have the list my head. You’re taking me with you.”  
  
“That’s risky.” he could see Loki getting ready to flight this.  
  
“Everything is risky, hence we should stick together. What if you just don’t come back and I’m left here?” he huffed and poked Loki hard in his chest, which, ouch, his muscles are made of steel or something.   
  
“You needn’t be worried-”  
  
“I’m not, I just really need to get out of the house, Loki please!”  
  
Loki gave him a pointed look, to which Tony returned with puppy dog eyes. They had a battle of will in their expressions before Loki caved. “You might be recognised.” he said weakly, knowing it was futile now.   
  
“I’ll wear a disguise.”  
  
“Maybe you should shave off your beard. It is a very recognisable feature.”  
  
“You think I’d Look better without it?” Tony asked considering it for a moment. His thinking was interrupted by Loki rubbing his own cheek against Tony’s like an affectionate cat.  
  
“I believe I have become used to the feeling of it. Don’t remove it.”  
  
“Okay fair enough, I’ll keep it. Now enough chit-chat. It’s Montage time!”

The two went to the wardrobe and started hunting the best clothing items for their little trip. Finding the blacks and greys over the bright greens Loki seemed to have been so fond of. Nothing with metal. They manage to find these cotton tunics which had an aline cut, black for Loki and a wraparound grey for Tony. They both had hoods to help cover their faces. Tony had salvaged his own pants from when he had arrived while Loki found some fabric ones which could almost be mistaken for yoga pants. Tony walked by a mirror and swore and since the man didn’t have any singlets, he consented to let Tony cut the sleeves off another shirt and fold the bottom up to wear under the shirt to make sure no part of the glow from his chest shone through.

They looked at each other in the mirror. “All the cutest couples match aesthetics.” They looked a bit dark and eccentric but nothing that would turn heads. Besides Loki’s height which they couldn’t really do anything about. They peeked out of the doorway to ensure it was growing dark and then stepped back into the world.

————————————————————————

The heat of this place still hit them even as the sun set. Their clothes weren’t the best for this weather but Tony had assured him they would just be mistaken for “goth punks” whatever that meant. He looked around and spied a town they were able to see from the sandy hill they were on. It was a bit of a walk away, but still would be simple enough to get too.  
  
“shit.. how are we going to find the door again?” Tony asked stretching his hand out behind him, he did manage to find the door but he had barely stepped away from it. There would be no sign for any human to find it if they didn’t know exactly where he had been placed.

“Just remember the features, I can sense where it is but just in case we ever get separated, that rock, that bush, this hill. Remember them.” he waited and made sure Tony actually looked before they started the trek towards the small town.

It was a quaint little place, Tony started telling him about cars and the not at all surprising amount of knowledge he had on their mechanics. He paused mid conversation as he stood in the centre of town. “Where in New Mexico? I mean… yeah, I guess no one would think to look here. Nothing that speaks, magical heroes live here.” He teased but there was a sudden twitch to his smile and it fell pretty quickly. They explored around a bit a before Tony brought him to something called and ATM, which apparently held the currency in the world. Pulling their hoods down further till it was practically blocking their line of sight.

“Now I didn’t have a card on me when we arrive so… don’t do crimes, kids.” Tony said.

The man got him to carefully pull a panel off the box, then he did a few things with wires and suddenly the machine started spitting out stacks of small green paper. “There is no gold?”  
  
“Not when we’re just going to a supermarket, dude.” They returned the machine to its earlier state, if a little glitchy on its screen. Tony took him by the hand and they continued along into a long blocky building which shone bright white in the inside and was filled with items and foods of all kinds.  
  
“fascinating.” he walked right in while Tony held back to retrieve a metal wired card on wheels. There were fruits and plants of all kind, some he recognised, many he didn’t. “And one merchant supplies all of these?” he asked, picking up an apple and taking a bite.

“Hey! You need to pay for that, sir.” Some youth in ugly clothes told him, he glared at him for interrupting but Tony was quickly by his side.  
  
“Sorry, sorry, my friend here was starving, look at him, he’s a bean-poll, he needs it. We’ll pay for it don’t worry.” And he just had to rolls his eyes.  
  
“Hey aren’t you-”  
  
“John Smith from the auto shop down on the other end of town, yeah, that means, if you need a tune-up, I’ll give you a good price.” He said hastily before he started pushing Loki with his shoulder for them to get moving. “Eat after we pay.” He hissed.

“Apologies.” he wasn't sorry at all and continued to munch away on the apple. 

They looked around the store and Loki wanted _everything_. He pulled every type of fruit that looked appetising, all the packets of cheeses and different bread. Boxes of marinated meats. Tony left him staring at juices and came back with a hand full of brightly coloured boxes. “Does that one, truly give charms that bestow luck?”  
  
“Absolutely.”

“Amazing… grab one more.”  
  
They got to a section which displayed tea, between them they devised the best way to get enough tea which was to place Tony so he wedged his feed over the metal connecting the wheels as he held onto the handle with one hand and just scooped the boxes of tea into the cart with his other hand. All while Loki pushed him with considerable speed and strength. Almost all the boxes actually ended up in the cart.  
  
“Sirs! That is unsafe please get down.” The boy seemed to have been following them to keep an eye after he took one measly apple. The boy didn’t seem to have much power but Tony still hopped down, though was chortling into Loki’s shoulder.

They added spreads, nut bars, bags of sugary treats and chips, bottles of different fizzing drinks. Loki was curious about the honey in this realm while Tony grabbed a bunch of ‘dips’.

At one point tony was jumping up and down trying to get specific types of pasta from the top shelf. Loki just watched him with great amusement before he simply put his hands-on Tony’s waist and lifted him up.  
  
“Woah.” The boy said, as he entered the mouth of the isles holding a step ladder.  
  
“Uh… yeah, we met at cheer leading practice. It’s all about momentum and uh… you know moving your centre of gravity.”

The boy looked at them and then the step ladder and slowly walked away.  
  
what ever list Tony had started off with was never mentioned and they continued filling the cart with anything that caught their eye.

“I’d buy us some DVD’s but I don’t think we have a DVD player and I doubt this place sells any. It’s getting out of fashion now. Everything is online but someone, decided not to have wifi in their-” Tony looked around for the boy before lowering his voice. “-weird dimensional house thingy.”  
  
“Am I not keeping you entertained enough?”  
  
“Well, you’re trying your best I’m sure.” Tony wiggles his eyebrows at him and Loki would not let that sand. He pushed the cart and moved to back a few isles to where he was sure he saw a product which said sex. Found it.  
  
“Ribbed for her pleasure?” He tried opening the box to see what that even meant. Tony caught up with him and immediately snatched the box out of his hands.

“I didn’t mean to try now right now! Fucking in the middle of a super market isn’t exactly romantic.”  
  
“Sirs, please.” The boy whined looking really distressed as he had followed Tony’s frantic walking it seemed.  
  
“I said we weren’t!” Tony snapped back. But he also dropped the box in the cart and then grabbed a bottle of ‘lube’ to join it. Loki also added a ‘heated sensation that excites’ lube as well as one which boasted a strawberry flavoured ‘sweeter sensation’ as well as both dotted and ultra-thin condoms. After picking a few more personal hygiene products, Tony glanced at the nervous worker following them.  
  
“I think we need to go now.” Tony said and Loki looked at their completely filled cart and nodded. “Here we can go to the self-checkout because I don’t know, this all might be suspicious.”  
  
“Ah yes, for if our youthful guard has proven anything it is that we have been completely unquestionable up until now.”  
  
“Your face is unquestionable.”  
  
“Why thank you, darling.”

They made their way to the self-check out and Loki needed to voice what he was thinking. “I could just… teleport us all back to the house if you wish.”  
  
“What, no, we need to pay for everything.” He hissed back quietly.  
  
“Why? You are a hero. You should be owed a few meals.”  
  
“Because it’s the law and I’m not going to steal what is probably a good _few hundreds of dollars’_ worth of groceries. I am paying for it.”

“You are paying for it?” Loki deadpanned.   
  
“Yes!” the man exclaimed.   
  
“With the money that you stole?”  
  
“Shhhhhh. Yes, come on, that was from the banks not from people, our teen watch dog might get in trouble if we pop away but ripping off an ATM is a victimless crime… And! When our lives are back in order I will make up for that by saving people and making a big donation to a charity or something. Here, just help me with the scanner.”

It was a very odd use of technology but they scanned each item and placed them in a bag to the side of the thing. Funnily enough the shelf they placed the bags on weighed it and when they weight was too much the machine stopped working and alerted the teenager working here. The boy walked cautiously by and did something with a key pad and card and then watched as they filled up more bags and then had to reset the scales again. They boy looked pretty weary of them both.

“Umm yeah so we work for this charity place so we’re making gift hampers.”  
  
“… Right.” The boy didn’t look convinced. Doubly so when Tony started scanning a box of condoms which had fallen from the top of the pile.  
  
“What you don’t believe the misfortunate should have help ensuring they can have safe and healthy sex? It’s important for everyone, young man!”  
  
By the norns Loki was struggling to keep a straight face, he was impressed by Tony and how easily he rolled out lies. Whether they were good lies or not was a completely different question. Eventually they had piles of bags around them and tony stood there, feeding the machine many papers, one at a time. He crossed him arms and looked down at the boy.  
  
“Look, I think I want to check those bills-”  
  
Tony looked up and started his endearing words again. “Hey listen-” Tony squinted at a tag on the boy’s shirt “-Owen, can I call you Owen?” he asked but didn’t even wait for an answer. “Owen, I know me and my very tall, strong and handsome boyfriend walked in here and disturbed the peace for you and we apologies. Working at a store must suck. Are you working for a minimum wage here?”  
  
“I… uh yes. But, man, I need to-”  
  
“Oof, you hear that sweetheart, you know what minimum wage is around these parts?” he asked and Loki had no clue what was happening and just shook his head, going along with this. “No much, that’s what it. You think we should give this nice young man a good tip to help him and his circumstances?”  
  
“Why, my dearest heart, you are always as kind and generous as you are searingly attractive.” Loki reached over and took one of the papers and gave it to the boy.  
  
“Five dollars? _Gee…Thanks.”_  
  
“Oh Lokes, the numbers are at the corners and written and the bottom of the bill." He looked back to the boy. "He’s…. New to the country.”  
  
Loki didn’t know what the right amount would be and just took a few of the 50 ones, make sure to get a nod from Tony before he gave it to the boy. “Just for you, young man. You have guarded this fine market with a vigilant eye and a moral code of iron. You deserve to buy some of the treasures this market holds. Your betters should be proud with how you implemented your training.” He said, injecting as much awe and pride as he could fake.

The boy looked between them and the money a few times before he sighed, rubbed his eyes and then pocketed the money. “Yeah, you’re right I am not being paid enough to deal with you two. I’ll watched over the bags if you need to take a few trips to your car or whatever. But please just... leave.”

“Thank you, boy, no need for any more assistance, we will leave.” Loki blocked the boys view of the bags and sent away half off them to his pocket dimension before threaded the loops of the bags up his arms and easily lifting all of them. The boy’s eyes still widened… how much can human’s carry?  
  
“Yeah… this is a work out for him, remember, momentum, centre of gravity, always lift with your legs and not your back. Let’s go honey, to the car, I guess. Bye, kid.”  
  
“Have a good evening, child. You make your ancestors proud.”  
  
and they were off.  
  
“You make your ancestors proud?” Tony laughed once they were out the door and almost tripped over his own feet from the force of it. “This is why I love you.” The man kept walking through his laughter but for a moment Loki’s feet stayed on the concrete as his heart thumped in his chest. 

————————————————————————

Tony took a deep breath of the warm night air. It was so nice and fresh and helped with how light headed he felt after laughing at that shopping trip. Do they normally have fun doing small normally menial tasks? He’d like to think so. Because fuck what the robot implied, this had to be the life he had. That magical dork couldn’t he bad. Could he?  
  
Loki’s long legs swiftly caught the man up to him, Tony hadn’t noticed he had fallen behind but he was back by his side, arms no longer covered in plastic bags. Well, if the space was free. Tony hooked his arm into Loki’s as they walked aimlessly down the streets. Looking at the glowing street lights and flashing neon signs did nothing to dampen the light of the stars coming out at night. Their sky was better but this still had its charm.

A particular sign caught his eye and he started pulling Loki along. “Damn we didn’t buy any ice cream. That’s what we forgot. But it is one of the best human delicacies if your body can handle dairy… and even for a few whose doesn’t, it’s still pretty damn good” They got three scoops each in cups, one with peanut butter, tipple chocolate and pasticcio. Another with mango, salted toffy and French vanilla.

He sat a god down at a small plastic table under florescent lights by the window. They watched the small town go by as they shared and rated different ice cream flavours. Their legs entwined under the table and their fingers brushing in a way that could have been accidental, but it wasn’t.

It was almost a religious experience.

The cups were eventually emptied, Loki stood up and reached his hand out to held Tony up as well and he didn’t let go as they started walking again. They didn’t teleport, they walked back up the dusty road and past the edge of town into the nothing of the plains. They made their way door where the invisible door way was and Tony stopped and looked out.   
  
“I don’t think this was our lives.” Tony said softly, he saw how Loki’s face grew steeled, ready brush it off and act like he didn’t care and it was funny that Tony had but he continued quickly. “But it should be. I wish it was, I think… that maybe it could be.”  
  
That hard shell broke. “I don’t know if it could be. It will be a lot of work.”  
  
“I love working.”  
  
Loki gave a sharp inhale. “I might cause you trouble.”  
  
“I love trouble.” Tony said and started stepping closer to the god, squeezing his hand tightly.  
  
“Tony…” He leaned down and they were only a breath apart. “I could be a bad man.”

“I love a bad man.”

They leaned close and kissed, it was messy and desperate. It clicked then that Loki also knew they had been losing ground with everything they had discovered. They were both terrified that they’d lose each other. Fears, founded or unfounded. 

They were in the plains, he closed his eyes to kiss Loki, felt the man take his hips in those strong but delicate hand to lead him a few steps back, when he opened his eyes it was the to sun set of their little home. They shuffled along, trying to keep their lips locked as they walked and shed each other’s clothes. They stumbled but Loki just gave that arrogant little smirk of his, that look of his always drove Tony wild.

They were naked by the time they got into their bedroom and Tony pushed Loki down onto the bed. He crawled over, pressing kisses up his thighs, along the expanse of his stomach and over his chest, to that perfect neck of his.

“Tony, would you have me?” the low panting voice make him shudder.  
  
“I am having you, right now.” He said, smoothing his hands along the man’s body. The sun set radiated a golden light which made them golden except where Tony’s own blue light prevailed. It looked beautifully contrasting. He could explore every inch of this body and never get tired of it.  
  
Tony’s chin was forcible taken and held him back, looking him in the eyes. “Stark, we have been playing around for weeks but now, this night. I am asking you to take me.”  
  
“Oh… yes, yes, please. I will.” He continued to kiss the lay, laying against him because he knows the man could take his weight easily and let them grind together. This wasn’t a fun romp, getting handsy in the tub or in the garden or against the kitchen counter. This… this was something else.

When they were both aching, desperately rutting up against each other, Tony leaned back up, Tony’s lips felt raw and Loki had small patches of red around his mouth from the beard friction but he watched as they almost immediately faded.  
  
“Where are the- oh never mind.” He crawled up higher on Loki’s body so he could lean over to the side table without moving away from him. He grabbed the normal condoms and lube. He was opened the packet when Loki’s finger tips teased along his cock, making it pulse from need. “Fuck Lokes, I’m going to need some brain power to actually get this open." The other laughed and even his laugh sounded a little wrecked already. It will be a miracle if Tony survived this love making.

He settled back, opening long pale legs and pushing one back to get a good view. “Fuck me…”  
  
“Tomorrow, if you’d like. I asked first however.”  
  
“I’m holding you to that.” 

Tony slicked up his fingers and braced himself over Loki, watching him as he slowly teased his finger down and between his legs. Watching ever gorgeous sigh and gasp. “Loki… god you’re beautiful.” Loki’s fingers curled into his own shorted hair and pulled him down. They continued to kiss until Loki was ready.

————————————————————————  
  


Tony had made a Joke a while before about them cycling back to a new first time, having no past to compare it to. He was a god; they knew that but right now, it felt like the first time he had truly been worshipped. Every touch, kiss and press, it was all done with a certain reverence which had Loki fulfilled and desperate for more.

They held each other close as Tony pushed in, there was a brief ache and then pure pleasure. They bodies pressed tight so his cock rubbed against Tony’s warm body as the man slowly but oh so deeply rocked into him. Loki curled his fingers into the sheet as to not grip the mortal too tight or scratch too hard at his vulnerable skin. Their moans filled the room, they filled the whole house and the whole tiny world they inhabited. Pleas, names and prayer.

He cried for more and Tony answered, leaning back and thrusting faster. Loki’s hands found that body again, being careful but needing too much to stay away. His hand rested over the device in the man's chest, he went to remove it but Tony’s own hand just covered his, holding it there against his shining heart. They sun had fallen away and the that blue light dominated over them, cool compared to the fire between them now.

Tony’s thrust grew more wild and more careless, the sound he made less intelligible. That calloused creator’s hand encircled his cock and stroked Loki, just tight enough to have his eyes fluttering and his hands regretfully pulling away so his nails could dig into the wood of headboard.

They both reached their climax within seconds of each other, they cried out shamelessly as shuddering messes. Again, the human collapsed against him and Loki held him close, trying to catch his breath whole savouring the over sensitive feeling of the man staying inside him. 

Eventually the man pulled away and flopped onto his back beside him.  
  
“Fuck.”  
  
“Indeed, I wholly agree with that sentiment.”

They looked at each other and chuckled. Their hands reached across the tiny gap between them and their fingers entwined. Loki didn’t say anything, not now, not when it was still so fragile and terrified. But he knew Tony heard it anyway and when the man brought their hands up to kiss the back of his, he knew it was returned.

For better or for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk fun fact, i didn't know who would do the doing first and so i just looked up Top Loki and Top Tony chose the one which had the least numbers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They boys see some interesting characters, new and old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for the delay, some unfortunate stuff has being going down but I'm good now. Enjoy~

They stagnated a little bit in the days following their shopping trip. They were kept busy, making the most of the items they had bought from the store and with each other. However, they were not men who could stand to be aimless for long. 

The issue was they were both understanding that what they wanted to believe about themselves or each other might be false but they also scared to lose what they had. They ignored it for a few days, but eventually they needed to get back on track.

That conversation happened while they were both in the garden, laying on a blanket in the dimensions warm, midday sunlight. Naked and panting. Loki spooning him against his chest, nuzzling over the new marks he probably left on the back of his neck.

“That… that was good.” Tony stretched, a little sore but very satisfied.

“The sounds you made implied it was more than just good so I’ll let that comment slide. For now.” Loki said with amusement. They probably should go get clean but they were more ready to just doze where they were.

Tony probably would have fallen asleep if not for the thought that had been in his head for a while. “So-” Loki groaned, probably not trusting the tone Tony had started with. “Hush, you’ve had enough after glow. So… I know our alignments are hazy or whatever, but we are in possession of a lot of knowledge about Hydra. We both agree that they are bad. Maybe we should continue in our mission to bring them down?”  
  
Loki’s hand traced random patterns over his damp skin and Tony stayed quiet, letting the other man have time to think. Eventually he spoke up “We seem to do well in quick and quiet entry into the facilities, we will need to look out for any items of power that we don’t know had have obtained… and that team which found us last time. We do not know if they had been at that facility or they have a way of tracking us. Either way, they could be trouble.”

That was a good point to make but for now Tony just turned in the man arms to look at him properly. “So that was a yes to more hero-ing?”

“Whatever you wish, my short, dark and crafty.” 

————————————————————————

Now once again they had something to do, they went through the documents they had started with as well as the few files they had stolen from their first base raid. They needed to work together on this, Loki could read the language Hydra’s files were written in but not the encryption and computer languages Tony could. He wasn’t used to seeing a language or a ‘Code’ as Tony called it and not be able to read it. He was fascinated watching the man being able to type away and know what to do.

He pulled Tony onto his lap and would read out any relevant files and what was in them once Tony mastered the code to get into them. The table became a place of planning once more. He read that the first base they had went to was also home to where they experimented on volunteers with the desire to make them more than human. Strength, speed, flight and even mind and reality manipulation. Most subject had died already or were mangled by the process, only two out of many having stayed whole after exposure to the Sceptre’s energy. All those abominations where probably burned to a crisp now but some seemed powerful and the other bases might hold those similarly altered from their natures that they would need to look out for.

Much talk was about the creation of super soldiers and trying to recreate a specific type of serum from decades ago. Experiments done on both willing and unwilling specimens and so they made note of maybe being able to free them if they were stable or put them out of their misery if they were completely lost or distorted from the process. They found files of alien technology and weapons taken from a race all the Chitauri. Loki uttered that name and they were so close pressed that they could feel each other shudder in response to it. It made them think of that massive creature they had found before and the reaction it caused.   
  
They looked at each other in frustrated confusion, not knowing what that meant for them but quietly deciding to go after the weapons first.

Loki was reading out file names, he saw one about himself, he said it was about finance report and it was left untouched. After a lot of reading and a long lunch break, they were able to pinpoint a few locations they may find other bases and started making a list for the ones which would be the best targets to go after. Lest likely to have any collateral damage and didn’t have any fronts with civilians like most of the Strategic Homeland And Other Words of Redundancy’s buildings.

Loki looked at the list of names and places they had on the table as Tony spoke. “We get in, I’ll cripple the systems, try and destroy as much backup data, keep each other safe and if we start getting over whelmed, we can just… burn it all down again... I guess. Not the most elegant plan I know, but we are just a two-man operation, as great of men as are.”  
  
“And then what will we do?” he asked, they destroy the bases, maybe go after any smaller groups which escaped but it was a very narrow goal.   
  
Tony just shrugged. “We just keep going. Until the end and we find a new goal or our old lives catch up to us. This is the mission we have now and I’m ready to fight it while we can.”

Loki reached over and brushed his thumb over against Tony’s cheek. “You are a great warrior, Stark. Let us complete the mission… while we can.”

  
————————————————————————

For each base, he and Loki would zip around until they found it and would camp out, watching it for a few days. No suit for Tony, they would need to remain unseen and that was easier without gleaming red and gold. They would learn the security schedule, how many would come and go from the base and then Loki would blip in, magically invisible to ensure they didn’t hold anything important.

The first few bases were more skeleton crew type places. Mainly more storage facilities and weapon building facilities. Maybe a small lab on the side but there were pretty cut and dry endeavours. They’d get in, they would take a few interesting looking items, a weapon, some medical files, gadgets. Then they would forget sneaking and instead, demolish exits, destroy vehicles, and then raise the whole base to the ground. Through setting off their own weapons or overloading energy cores. They had strong weapons, they were able to knock him and Loki back if they got hits in, and they did get hits in. these weren’t always clean wins but they still always win.

They were in a base in Europe again. They needed a good few days to watch this place, it was obvious that they were expecting an attack. This base was bigger than the last ones but also the security was crawling around the place. They wouldn’t be able to get a proper sneak-in here but they knew they wouldn’t have gone on unnoticed for long.

They would attack in the midday guard change over, most people there at the base but at least they would have a small window when many aren’t where they need to be. Loki was helping him put on his armour, making sure it all locked into place. Tony had fixed the damaged he, himself had down to the helmet but had tuned off the AI in the suit. Which meant he still had to aim by eye with no automatic target system nor access to any other hidden weapons in the suit but he was dealing. “Now stay close, you will not lose any pride if we need to retreat this base over whelms us. You said before, we are just two men, regardless of how great we are.” Loki said in a tone more serious than Tony had hear him speak with before.

“You know, I was going to tell you the same thing.” Tony said, using a gauntlet to brush back Loki’s hair. “So, stay close to me, Lokes.”

The god sighed. “If I must.” He sighed in exaggeration before pulling Tony close for a sweet kiss. When they separated, they were on the roof top of the base. There was one guard at the edge, smoking, they shared an amused looked that the agent hadn’t noticed them and Loki gave him one more soft peck before he magicked out a dagger.

For the most part everything hard run smoothly. Loki cloaked them to look like agents they he had to be carefully they didn’t hear the stompy metal boots when they were near anyone. Tony found a few terminals and started wreaking havoc on their servers and starting a sweep of all their files and information storages. Alarms started blearing but they took out the team which came for them before making their way to any places of interest they had seen from the computers.

They went down to one of the basement levels, they had been making a strain of the serum here. They were going to the medical lab to see exactly what it was and how they were doing it. They were walking through a type of processing warehouse. Big steel vats of the chemicals they were using lined in in three rows of two, a few trucks holding drums of more chemical were left scattered about. Loki went close to one and lifted his hand near it. “Still warm, they hadn’t left long. Someone might be about.”

A crash sounded a head and they watched someone in a white hazmat suit running away and down a hall, looking back but curiously not at them. They didn’t need to wait long to find out why.

“Tony Stark!” his name was screech out like a banshee, stopping the two men in their tracks. He turned to see a woman, brown hair, pale skin, covered in bandages, some which had been covering her face ripped away to reveal red and blistered skin. She had been badly burned.

Tony hissed a grimaced and looked over at Loki. “Oof. That was probably us. This is probably going to be personal.”

“You, Stark, I was right. You never gave up your name, the merchant of Death, you are still a monster! You killed my parents and while my brother and I were gaining our strength you killed him! You took my twin from me!” Her voice rang through the building, chilling Tony to his core. What had he done?

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t noticed Loki calling him until the man pushed in front of him, one hand on Tony’s chest pushing him back, the other raised up creating a green shimmering shield. He blinked and looked to see the shield consuming a red glow.   
  
“I… What did I…”   
  
“Tony, my dearest heart, Don’t think about it now.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“You need to run, Tony. Find the what you need to cripple them while I deal with her. She is too powerful, I will deal with her and then find you again.”  
  
“Loki, you even said, we shouldn’t separate-” he started but Loki shoved him back which hand his boots drag with a screech against the concrete floor.   
  
“I know what I said. Go!” The shield dropped and Tony watched as Loki squared up against the woman, he could see the anger in her eyes and the way red magic seemed to swirl around her. Loki was right but he hated having to leave him. “Good luck.” He said before he turned to keep going through the building.

————————————————————————

The woman’s eyes were predatory as he watched Tony flee, she took a few steps to follow him, so lost in her rage that she seemed to have forgotten Loki was there before he stepped to the side to block her view of him. “You will not touch him.”  
  
“I will break his mind apart, make him suffer for every one he took from me, and the I will rip him apart… slowly. I will get my revenge.”  
  
“You will be sent to Hel where it looks like half of you already resides.” 

They faced off with one another, her magic reacting to her anger and chaotically lashing out around her. She didn’t have full control either from her grief or lack of training. Probably both. Loki pulled out a dagger and threw it at her, testing here powers, the red flared up and caught it inches from her face. “Hmm, let’s see what else you can do.” He purred.

He bolted, running between the great vats, ducking and weaving as bolt of red energy were thrown after him. Loki snatched a metal handle off its hingers from one of the vats and when circling her, threw it as it transformed into a metallic snake with the intent of binding her arms. She sent a blast with her hands right before it landed and it fell away with a thunk, turning back into a handle.

He turned invisible and tried to get closer, dagger out but she turned towards him. “I can feel you magic; I can sense your thought. You won’t hide from me!” the next energy bast she threw would have hit if not for Loki raising his magical shield but he was still pushed back and made visible again.

“Oh, hello there.” He waved.

She didn’t see the humour intended in the gesture. “You can’t stop me, I will find him, he needs to pay for his crimes, don’t you understand! That man is a monster.” The woman reached out and suddenly, desks, barrels and what eve else she could hold with her magic was being pulled up and thrown at him.

Loki teleported around the room, taunting her. “Missed me… oh so close... try again… oh that was a little sad… it’s like you don’t even want revenge.” He turned ran around her, slapped his hand onto the hood of the truck as he ran past, the lights flashed on with power. Loki yelled out “You won’t win, you know? You’ll die, and Tony Stark, he’ll go back home, with me, we’ll share ice cream. He’ll be warm, cared for and content while you rot with your dead brother-” She roared and chased after him, the truck then came to life and accelerated forward to hit her but the anger the energy exploded outwards and flipped the truck into the air and back where he had been. “oh dear.” It landed in a crunch as it buckled and sent the barrels in the back bounding out, leaking foul smelling chemicals over the floor.

She saw Loki knocked to the ground, pinned by the truck which had fallen on its side, crushing him. She grinned as she watched him struggle, taking slow and deliberate steps towards him. The chaotic magic lashing out and sparking around her. The magic lashed out surrounding Loki, making him still as it tried to infiltrate his mind. “Stark trusts you, you will feel what he made me feel and then you will understand. You will find him and break his legs, then you will bring him to me.” The magic swirled around the pinned Loki and then he was gone.

She froze in confusion, her guard now lowered.

“Mind magic?” he said as he teleported behind her from where he had been standing near his illusion. He slapped his hand onto her forehead. “Why don’t I give that a try.” He had gotten a taste for her magic and tried to follow the type of power he felt from it.

Magic was like telling a story to the world and the world believing it. He had tried telling Tony this one day. Magic is like tangible will and you use it to write into the fabric of the reality. If you write the same story enough the more the world will believe it, the easier you will it to happen. That’s how he had been able to relearn his spells so quickly. The fabric still remembers each story he had been telling for millennia.

So, when he cast to try and mimic her spell, the story filled it’s self-following a used pathway instead. He hadn’t copied her spell to make her an ally like he had intended, no he had rubbed out her thoughts and left everything blank. She dropped to the floor and Loki was left in the stillness, realising the implication. Loki had known how to wipe memories. He had looked for foreign magic that might have affected them but he would have ignored his own signature.

“I did this.” But why?

He closed his eyes and took a few breaths, thought about how he had calmed Tony down from his own attacks of panic. He can’t think about it, not now. Stark couldn’t for his own demons so neither can he. They need to finish this mission. He needed to find Tony and get him out of here.

“Umm… hello? Sorry I do not mean to interrupt but I… I don’t know where I am. My name is… my name… I don’t know my name? Why don’t I know who I am?” The woman spoke softly now interrupting his thoughts, he looked down at her. She was looking up at him with big scared eyes. “Please I don’t know who I am and… ah, why does it hurt.” She looked at her hands, one was bandaged and you could see the bulk and spiral out line of it going up her entire arm. Her finger’s shook as he touched the side of her face and flinched. “Oh god it hurts, what is happening.” She started panicking and her magic, as unstable as it was, started sparking and thrashing uncontrollably around her. She saw it and screamed and her panic only made it grow and strike out as if to protect her. Loki put up a shield to protect himself but whether from the scream she gave her their fight being over, Hydra agents stormed in.

They didn’t seem to even try and assess the situation before they were opening fire against them, Loki thickened his shields to stop the bullets but the woman didn’t have the control and one tore through and out of her arm. She screamed even louder and now the magic knew where a threat was. It lashed out and the agents screams joined her own, some dropping their weapons to back away in fear, other to weep and cry out from what they saw. One still had his gun and tried to shoot his invisible demons but mowed down some of his allies instead. Loki turned and ran from the chorus of fear.

Just in time to hear a loud crash of an explosion.

————————————————————————

The merchant of death. That is what she called him. The merchant of death. The merchant of death. The merchant of death. The merchant of death. The merchant of d-

The name just kept repeating in his mind. He had killed her family. He had killed many people since starting this mission but they were nazi fucks, he didn’t feel bad about them. Her family could have been the same. The file had said they experimented on volunteers. She had involved herself in this. They could have too. 

Loki said not to think about it. He needed to focus. They were losing control of this and they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes now. Just as he thought that he was blasted in the back and fell flat with a loud metal bang. Damn it. He played dead and strained to hear as the shooter stepped closer before he lifted his hand and shot them in the chest point blank.

He got up and gave up on running and flew instead through the halls, he clipped a few walls and corners in the narrow always but he didn’t get there quicker and was definitely harder to hit. He eventual found the super solider lab he had been looking for. The room was half full of scared looking people in lab coats. When he raised his hand, ready to start blasting a man yelled “Hail Hydra!” and triggered a dead man’s switch he had been holding. Tony tried to fly back but he had been too close and he was caught up in the blast.

He crashed into a wall and fell; he was dazed for a good moment but luckily the suit both absorbed most of the impact as well had a good layer of insulation so he was really fucking hot in here but not burning. The Outside of his suit has some lines glowing bright orange. He pushed himself up and returned to the room, he went in still and tried to see if anything was left but the ceiling was already starting to collapse. Fuck, they stayed around to find this place and it was all for zip.

“Tony!” Loki cried out, down the hall, looking into the burning room and hallway. Tony quickly returned.

“Dead end, forget about it, we should just go now.”   
  
“Agreed.” Loki want to grab him and then jumped back holding his hand.   
  
“Shit, Loki, wait yeah… I’m kind of burning. We might need to use our legs for this escape. Sorry.” It was something they had learned, Loki could make and play with his own fire but when he was burned, that took the longest to heal out of all the other types of wounds he had received.

The god shook his hand to help cool it and grumbled. “Fine, we’ll walk like common folk.”

They returned the way they had came, Loki filled him in on the fight and they hesitated before entering the processing room. Only dead Hydra remained, the girl was gone. That might come back to bite them in the ass one day… or not. They’ll burn that bridge when they get to it. For now, they walked together through the room. right before exiting Loki threw a fire ball into the spilled chemicals and they lit up with blue flames. slowly spreading to the rest of the vats.

They got the elevator up and were surprised to find the building very quiet. That was until they made their way outside. The explosion of the vats lighting shook the building and they blindly ran out as dust from the bricks and concrete filled the air. 

When the dust settled they looked out and there was a sea of gun pointed at them. Agents yelling demands and out of anger at them. Loki slowly reached for him but Tony quickly put his arms up. “I know you’ll heal but I still don’t want to hurt you. You leave and I’ll try and fly away, I’ll find some where to hide and you can get me when I cool down okay.”  
  
“Tony, don’t be a fool. There are too many. I won’t leave you. You either come with me or I stay here with you.” Loki also put his hands up.   
  
“Lokes, it’s better that only one of us are in danger.”  
  
“That is utter bilgesnipes shit.”

Tony forgot about the army facing him and put down his arms and looked at Loki. “I’m trying to do something honourable and nice here. I’ve had a bad day; do you think you can just let me have this.”  
  
Loki similarly ignored everyone and bickered back at him. “Oh, you think you have had a bad day-”

There was a sudden whistle noise and then a cry as a man with a gun heading towards them was thrown off his feet. Then another man, then another. The hammer which had dented Loki was now zig zagging around them, taking out the hydra member around them but leaving them untouched. The agents looked around and then a few more where being down by arrows. Then the man he had seen with the shield jumped down as well as the red-headed woman and they started taking put Hydra left and right. He looked at Loki and got a nod before he took up into the air and started sending repulsor blasts while Loki brought out his daggers and with the rival team, took them all out one by one.

Ton was cooking on this suit, he was sure when he took it off a bucket of sweat would floor out with him but he was sure the metal had cooled enough for Loki to get them both out of here if the other team turned.

————————————————————————

“I’ve called Coulson, he’ll come over with the paddy wagon to bring these guys to jail.” He heard the red-headed woman say. He pulled his dagger out of the Hydra’s throat and he gurgled at his feet. “The ones who are still alive, anyway.” She amended.

He kept his blade up, not trusting them for a moment though Tony landing beside him did also help ease his nerves. The glow was gone, they could leave at any time, but he knew Tony was curious and he was as well. “Have you turned against your people a little cold of you but I can’t say it was an ill choice.”  
  
The team all shared looks between each other. “Why do you think we are part of Hydra?”  
  
Now he and Loki shared a cautious look before Tony answered. “We read your files, your part of that Strategic ummm, what was it?”  
  
“A mouth full.” Loki answered.   
  
“S.H.I.E.L.D.” The archer answered “Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. It was never that hard, Tony but if you stole those files from Hydra of course they would say we’re bad. We’re the good guys.”   
  
“It was your own, or this… S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own files. It revealed all the Hydra member’s working within and entwined. You cannot fool us.”  
  
The man carried an actual shield stepped forward. “Hydra infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D?” he looked at them in disbelieve before turning to the woman. “Can Coulson verify this?” they all started taking low, upset voices.

Tony flipped up his face plate and murmured to Loki. “Is this… an act or something.”  
  
“I don’t know.” Loki replied.

The blond man who had attacked Loki before left the group and approached them. Loki clutched his dagger and Tony followed suit and charged a repolsor. “I mean you no harm.” He said before unclipping his hammer and dropping it onto the ground. He kept his hands raised and walked slowly toward them, carefully stepping over bodies. “Stark, brother, I just wish to know you are alright.”  
  
“You didn’t seem to have cared before.”  
  
The big man winced. “That was ill advised but you must understand friend Stark, we had feared the worst when you had disappeared.” He looked at Loki and his eyes were sad but hopeful. “Are you well, brother.”  
  
“… Yes, I am well.”   
  
“That is a relief to hear.” And it sounded so genuine, the man lifted his hand and Loki flinched raising his dagger but just stopped himself from sinking into the blonde’s arm when he simply placed his hand on the back of Loki’s neck.

They just looked at each other for a moment before Stark cleared his throat. “Yeah, by the way, I’m good too, big guy.”   
  
The others of the team cautiously drew in as well, the woman speaking up again. “You didn’t recognise us, now or before so we’ve taken a guess you don’t know who you are right now. That you were scared and clung to each other. We might have frightened you when you first woke up on the street right?” She spoke gently, like she was explaining something to a child and Loki could tell it was laced with manipulation tactics.

He didn’t respond and neither did Tony.

“Brother.” The Blonde squeezed his neck. “You are the best of us at reading lies. Please listen. You are not the villains here. We just wish to help you both, to bring Tony Stark home. You must see this is the truth.”

He did believe it to be the truth. “I see it.” He whispered. They had promised to keep going to the end or their past caught up with them. This may very well be the day. They’ll tell Tony the truth. They’ll be separated but this man did have a life. Was Loki’s love selfish enough to keep him from that life?  
  
“Tony…”  
  
“Okay, Okay we have slowly understanding that we may have gotten a few things wrong but… we’re doing good here so I think we’ll keep going as we are until our memories come back naturally. But we won’t start going after you guy if you don’t go after us. Deal? Deal. Lokes, come on.” Tony started to left his hand to him before it froze barely away from his side. “Umm.”  
  
“I’m sorry Tony.” The red-head said and Loki looked to see her holding a small red and gold device. Finger on a button.  
  
“Tony!” Loki rushed to grab him but the Blonde man pulled him into his arms and held him tight before slamming him on the floor. Before he could even think to teleport the hammer had flown to him and was pressed on his chest, restricting his breathing and leaving him pinned. “No! No Tony! You foul bastards! Please, please don’t hurt him.”

The shield man hooked his arms around Tony as he screamed Loki’s name, trapped in his own amour.

He watched as they left, the fear making Loki panic and with the hammer he was struggling to breath at all. “Loki, Loki look at me brother. I’m sorry, I am truly sorry but you must believe that we will not hurt Tony. Nor you. We just wish to help him remember. He has a life, a company, family, friends, some one who loves him.”

Loki was panting, finger digging into the packed earth under his body. The man wasn’t lying he wouldn’t hurt hm. They wouldn’t hurt him. He heard as the jet engine roared to life and fly overhead other them, carrying Tony away.

“Let me go. I can’t…” the hammer left but he stayed laying there, taking in a few deep breaths before he sat up, wiping the tears from his face. “Tell me where they are taking him.”

Thor was quiet for a moment. “He needs to stay with us, let him see what he left behind first and then I will take you when Stark can man his own decisions about where he wants to be.”  
  
“Brother.” He stressed the term, hoping to get through the man and it seemed to do a good job at startling and disarming him. “He will stay with you. I believe I know a way to return his memories. He can return again to his life.” 

“If you can do that you can return your own. It is hard to say this to you but… I do not believe you will want to help Stark after you know yourself again.”  
  
“No, I will still help him. I know I will. I will not harm your people… not this day at least.”  
  
“How do you know you would not just be attacking while he is still found of you.”  
  
“Because brother…” he looked up at the him. “I love him.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad boys hour

The suit had felt like a second skin to him, he didn’t know how he had come to make it, what it had been to him but as soon as it closed around him, he felt free and he had felt powerful. Loki had his magic, he could literally bend the laws of physics but, in this suit, he felt could keep up with a god. He regularly did. 

Now it was just a trap. The strangers around him spoke softly trying to calm him down as he was dragged away and strapped down in the jet. There was no pride, didn’t care, he just raged, he screamed abuse at them, it was all he could do now frozen in place. He was still able see them and he saw them flinch back at whatever thoughtless curses he flung at them. He might regret it later but right now there was some sick satisfaction in that that this was going to be rough for them as well. But still they stayed, apologising and promising he would understand soon, they took the brunt of his aggression and weathered him out. He didn’t know how long he kept it up because he was exhausted. The adrenalin left his system and he started to crash. The last thing he said was. “Damn, now my nose is really itchy.” Which shocked a few chuckles out of the people as he started falling asleep.

He woke up as the suit was being shifted again, he was at least wheeled this time instead of dragged. That would have been hell on his boots. They wheeled him through bright lit corridors and he stayed quiet, counting in his head ‘15 steps straight, then a left for 10, then a right for 5-” this place was a maze but he would need to know how to get back, maybe steal a jet if his suit controls were compromised. Would he know how to fly a jet? He feels that wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for him, he seems to have a very odd skills set.

He was brought into a room, like everything in this place there was white walls, chrome fixtures, this particular room also had a table, a few chairs, a big screen. It felt like an interrogation room so he steeled himself for what they might do to him. “Okay Tony, let’s get you out a few people, and an AI, really missed you, so we want to catch you up pretty quickly. Okay?”

The woman pressed the button and the suit was back in his control, he was tempted to just blast her and fly out in a blaze of glory but she stood there, watching and waiting and he guessed she was thinking the same thing. He couldn’t trust that she was the only one with that device nor that he wouldn’t actually regret doing that in the future. He sighed and opened up the suit, stepping out to meet her. “you put a lot of trust in me there. Especially after what you pulled.”  
  
She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I did, but while you might not know me, I know you. And while you are many things, Tony, You are also a good man at heart.”  
  
“When I’m not the merchant of death?” He asked and watched that perfectly pleasant facade not wavered at all.  
  
“Is that what Loki called you?” She asked curiously and Tony scoffed.  
  
“No, not him. That crazy Hydra lady with powers did. Will you tell me where is Loki? What did you do to him?” he asked as calmly as he could. It was impossible to save face now, they knew how aggressively he cared but maybe if he played a long he would see the mage again.  
  
She hummed and subtly looked to the corner so he fully turned and saw the camera watching them. “Loki is currently with Thor, his brother… adopted. Thor won’t hurt him.” She said and left it at that. “You said you met a Hydra agent with powers? You seemed to have done quite a number on an organisation which was thought to have mostly died out. You’ll have to tell us more about what other information you have on them. For now, we’re going to give you a little crash course on what you have forgotten. Starting with-” She held out her hand to him. “I’m Natasha Romanoff, the black widow and your teammate in the Avengers.”

He hesitated but took her hand and gave it a quick shake. “we’ll see how you compare to my current teammate.” He smirked at her.  
  


————————————————————————

The man with him, Thor Odinson and older brother of Loki as he introduced himself as, was rather unbearable after Loki’s little slip. The man interchanged between deep concern and soft happiness. He was quite touchy and way too familiar for Loki to handle right now. He felt sorry for the oaf more than anything else. Whatever they had between them must have been complicated to say the least.

He teleported them to New Mexico, the man looked around with surprise. “Why are we here, brother?” He asked, looking out the town across the plains.  
  
“I will collect some of Tony’s belongings, he will probably want them when he returns to his life. You can’t enter in here I’m afraid. Only those granted permission can.” He didn’t mention how he could easily grant that permission at any time and hoped the man wouldn’t work that out. He hesitated at the entrance, it stung that they didn’t realise that morning would have been their last day together. He wished he had held onto Tony that bit tighter at night, kissed him just that bit longer as they left.   
  
An angry voice interrupted his thoughts. “You have a home here? Why?” he asked with more force than he cared to be subjected to right now.

Loki just gave him a bland look. “I wouldn’t know yet, why what is so special about this backwater place? Can’t just be the mango icecream truly is the creamiest of the land.”   
  
“… I fell to Earth near this town, my Lady lives here too.” He said and seemed greatly disturbed.   
  
Loki didn’t really know how to respond for a moment so he enacted what his human usually did and made a joke. He leaned in giving a cheeky smile. “Worried that she will realise that I am the more attractive brother.”

Thor spluttered in a most unattractive fashion and looked at him for a moment before laughing. “Oh, great kings above, I have missed you brother.” Which was not a response he had expected at all and he looked back at him in confusion.

“Your brother isn’t really here right now.” He pointed out but the blonde became a little sad.   
  
“No, I regret to say this but you seemed to have regained part of yourself in losing who you have been.” The man looked a second away from hugging him. “Brother… wouldn’t you rather have a clean slate like this. You could stay with us, with Stark. Start a new life.”  
  
Loki winced, it was exactly what they had been trying to do, forsaking who they were with who they could be. “Well, that is truely comforting. thank you." He snapped backed before taking a deep breath and asking simply. "Tony needs to remember who he is, he is important isn’t he?”

“Yes, we didn’t truly realise how much he had done for us and humanity until he was gone for these months. He might remember but you-”

“But I… would not be wanted after he does, isn’t that right? I see the way you looked at me, how they all did. I had a taste of what my memories harbor. I don’t know what it fully holds for me, but I know I fear it. What ever happened to me, what ever made me who I was, it is going to hurt more than just I. So, no… he won’t want me. I will not walk blinded in a false life seeing his scorn everyday.”

“But you love him.”   
  
“He is mortal, I would have lost him eventually. Now stay here, I’ll be but a moment.” He turned to enter the pocket dimension but he was stopped when big arms wrapped around him, hugging him tight enough to pop his spine in a few places.  
  
“He may love you too.”  
  
“Thor, don’t. Don’t act as if I know you are my brother yet.” He said in warning.

“Loki, I am glad you found some happiness, even if for a moment. When you remember yourself again, please know that I still care for you, even as angry as I am, I can’t help the anger some times. I do still wish I could help you. I think you should Stark some credit as well. If I can still care, he could too.” The man continued to babble nonsense and Loki pet his arm, denying to himself it was rather comforting for the moment. But the knowledge his brother could have attacked him and looked upon him with such rage when they first met had more an impact than any words. They had their side, they would stay apposed no matter what wishes that the circumstances were different. 

————————————————————————

Whoever was watching him deemed Tony to no longer be a threat to himself and other, they had a small intermission as a medical team gave him a quick check up. He had a few burns from where the insulation hadn’t held up from previous damage. They wanted an in depth one but Tony still didn’t really trust them. They were all strangers no matter what photos they showed of them hanging out. Plus, he saw how the information from this place was leaked out and found, even when he was himself, he wouldn’t trust them too much with something so personal anymore. Maybe he hadn’t trusted them before either, after all, he didn’t have a file like the others did now that he thought of it. He might be happy to learn he was a paranoid bastard. 

Tony felt pretty numb as he looked upon a screen, learning more of who he had been and his connection to the individual Avengers. It was somewhat comforting that he had moved away from the name the strange woman had given him. He was the Ironman. He was a good man, for the most part, it seems. He had asked about the device in his chest, they told him about what it does for him which led to why he had it. That was something hesitated on telling him and maybe she had been right to try and hide it. He was sure he didn’t want memories of his origins back in his head.

Which brought them to when the team was formed. Some intern had to made a slide show of the invasion which rallied them together. “They couldn’t have added music to this?” he said as it began, Natasha and him having at least received a coffee to have while they watched. There was a brief background again and who they were and why they were chosen, he was a consultant which was neat.

He felt Natasha look at him and then a moment later there were images of a S.H.I.E.L.D base and a sickly Loki, blocking bullets and kicking ass. That Scepter they had stolen in his hands. He didn’t know who Loki was hurting so he just watched in strange fascination but when the god stumbled Tony wince. Natasha looked away then. Tony suddenly felt like this was also a test and he might have lost a few marks just then. “It looks bad, yeah I get that, but have you seen how we left the Hydra bases. You guys got off ease.” Was his only comment.

They viewed security footage of Loki in a honest to god, human style suit and Tony wanted to see him that again. He had gone all these months wearing Asgardian clothes they could so with fashion switch. He suddenly started fiddling with his sleeve. He forgot was in Loki’s clothes right now, having grown so used to it since he had to from day one. It was a small comfort which he held onto.

He saw the shield guy get owned; he saw himself come down, suit all perfect and shiny, music basting out. “So, I was always like this, huh.” Loki surrender to him and it was a weird feeling to see that which was not necessarily a bad feeling either. He saw Loki in a glass cell and worried he could be back there again now. He saw himself and a mousy man working on the spear only to find out he was the big green giant. Natasha stressed that they were friends, the science bros. He was admittedly charmed by the name.

He idly watched until a portal was opened up and suddenly, he understood his fear but not why Loki had been scared of them right with him. He watched a crappy phone video of his suit flying as it was chased by the flying Leviathan. He brought his hand to his face, like he was leaning his cheek against it be he just wanted to feel the material against him, remembering the sound of Loki’s voice as the man told him to breath.

“Your meeting didn’t end well.” Natasha said before showing a video of Loki throwing him out of a widow.

“What! No, that can’t be it.” He complained “Where is the rest of it.”  
  
“Tony-”  
  
“No, I need… I need to see it.”  
  
Natasha looked at the camera again for 30 seconds, somehow having a kind of conversation and then the screen flickered and the whole scene played out.

First things first. Loki used way too much hair gel; he likes the soft curls the man had now. This was the best quality video he had seen of them and god it was weird to watch yourself and your boyfriend playing out a whole scene that you don’t remember. He jolted when he heard himself use the ‘Glow stick of destiny’ line. “That tall, dark and magic bastard.” He murmured to himself, Loki had figured some of his out clearly. He couldn’t ponder too long on that as he laughed at himself offering a drink. He laughed harder at calling Loki ‘big fella’, and then absolutely pissed himself at the sex joke he made. Sure, things got a bit disturbing at the end but the tension! That was all there even with their old selves. That was some what comforting.

“Tony, I know you have spent all your time with Loki, that you think differently about him now but he tried to kill you. Can you see that?”  
  
Tony looked at her for a good long moment as he debated telling her how much he mellowed out now they found a new way for him to ‘come out on top’. He didn’t, for now. But he might keep that Joke for later. “Yeah, he did, didn’t he.” He said simply instead.  
  


————————————————————————

Alarms blared as Loki appeared in the penthouse with Thor. Thor raised his hands and started reassuring a creature called JARVIS that this was okay. Loki didn’t take too much notice of it, instead he hungrily devoured the sight of the room around him. They had lived in Loki’s home, while it had become ‘theirs’ it was all new things Tony found as he was now. Everything else but the computers and the suit parts was Loki’s.

This was Stark as he had been. The penthouse was open, sleek, expensive and with technology inbuilt through it. Even the lingering scent, it was all Tony. He traced his hand over the marble bar top. Before he ran out to the balcony, taking a deep breath as the wind whipped around them.

“Loki! Don’t wander too far, okay.” Thor called out and he rolled his eyes.

“Can’t wander off a roof top.” He sassed back.  
  
“Oh I’m sure you could.” Thor laughed but there was some hollowness in it.   
  
“…yes, I probably could.” He looked over the edge but Thor called his name again and so he stepped back. He continued looking around the room, finding Tony’s bedroom. Huge bed, he couldn’t help but eye it.   
  
“We should respect Tony’s privacy brother.” Was called this time but he was pretty sure the bedroom was pretty low on the list of what privacies Loki had invaded already. He ran to the closet and it was as large as his own. Loki trailed his fingers over suit jackets and shirt. Touching ties and sniffing colognes. Maybe if one of those bottles was misplaced, Tony might not notice.

Finally, he stopped his perusing and he looked up at the ceiling as his brother did. “Hello, A.I, Tony had been trying to fix you during his… stay with me. It is nice to finally meet you regardless of how you must see me.”

The voice took a second to respond. “Master Loki, you are labelled as a level 1 threat still… but my monitoring of your activities with Tony show that you have protected him and I am grateful for that. I am Jarvis, how might I help you?”

“I have many of Stark’s equipment and gadgets in my possession which I’m sure he would wish to keep. Where is his work space? Oh, I’m sure it is a glorious sight.” He asked eagerly. It’s the one thing he wanted to see most of all. Again, there was a long pause before the AI replied and the excited smile slipped from Loki’s face.

“Sir, as I have started, you are a level 1 threat. You have not been cleared to enter into the lab. You may leave any items here to be scanned and then it will be up to sir’s discretion to do with them as he wills.”

“I… Of course. Thank you, JARVIS” He walked to the coffee table in the middle of the room and with a wave of his hand dropped it all there. The parts of the suit that he had before and after Tony arrived, the files he had on the team, the computers, his favourite shirt of Loki’s and all the little devices he had built and even the big jar of coffee he had bought at the store. He looked at it all, everything that made his safe house, their safe house.

He didn’t know how long he stayed standing there before a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Brother, they are in position to receive you.”

“Okay… JARVIS?”  
  
“Yes, Master Loki?”  
  
“Look after him please. Make sure he doesn’t forget to eat and that his coffee should have one sugar in it even though he lies and says he doesn’t like any sugar in it. Tell him… No, I won’t leave any message but please, look after him.”  
  
“I will endeavour to do so.” It replied.

Thor told him where a great flying craft was positioned for their arrival. Tony would be waiting there and they will allow him to try but Loki got the feeling they wouldn’t allow him to leave after this. One more step was left now. He pulled out the Sceptre. It pushed his own spell from his mind and allowed him to undo it’s influence on him. He didn’t let go even when it hurt, and kings above.

**it hurt**.

————————————————————————

Tony watched a horrifying scene where he saved all of New York from the council’s bomb, he closed his eyes for most of that and similarly didn’t watch Loki be tossed like a rag-doll by the green giant. Overall, it was rather disappointing ending, knowing how much it would suck remembering what was on the other side of that portal. Natasha answered a few questions but he didn’t have too many. He was left alone in the room to digest all he had seen and brace himself for what he will see again.

He had his face in his hands felt something, a change in the pressure around him and looked up. “Loki!” He was standing there, soft smile on his face and the wicked Sceptre in his hands. Regardless of what he had seen he still ran and wrapped his arms around the taller man. “Fuck, I thought they had locked you up or something.” He buried his face in Loki’s chest and breathed him in. But he noticed Loki’s arms were around him but he wasn’t really hugging him back. “Lokes?” he looked up in confusion.

Tony couldn’t read Loki’s expression but that was tell enough that it wasn’t the same Loki had had gotten to know. He didn’t step away regardless. This Loki gently placed his hand on Tony’s cheek, softly, almost like he used to. “Did you know, some elements can interrupt magic?” he said softly.

Tony clutched at Loki’s leather armour, fingers going white in how tightly he held onto the other man. “The arc reactor stopped the Sceptre controlling me.”

Loki smile. “Yes.” His hand slid down over his neck. “But the Sceptre focuses the power, magic in general can have a larger range.” The hand went to his sternum. He heard banging on the door but only glanced at it long enough to see the door slightly shimmering. He ignore it, all his attention was on Loki. “Spells, not focused could bypass the small barrier you created for yourself. It can still enter your body or your mind.” He pressed his palm right over the arc reactor, rested it there and looked Tony in the eye. They were still the same eyes he saw first thing when he woke in the morning. “But even if it isn’t blocked, without knowing exactly the nature of such an element It can disturb the spell in other ways. Such as reflecting it.” Tony’s heart remained it’s steady, calm beat under Loki’s palm.   
  
He was sure Loki was trying to unnerve him but he just gave a small smile. “It’s okay, Lokes. It’ll be okay. You do what you need to do. We'll work it out.” Tony said, cupping his hand on Loki’s face. He looked sympathetically back down at him.

“Oh, my poor mortal.” His hand flared with green magic and those sad eyes slowly faded away as Tony’s vision went dark.

Tony woke, shuddering at the cold at his back. He felt a hand leaving his own and squinted up. It felt like he just woke from a very vivid and lucid dream. Everything he had gone through was still there but now he remembered his life and it all seemed so unbelievable. “Lokes?”  
  
“Goodbye Stark, I think it’s best if we put all this nonsense behind us.”

“Wait, Lokes-” He called to stop him but Loki disappeared and the shimmer covering the door dropped and a handful of avengers tumbled in, taking the door off its hinges.

“Umm, occupied.” He said sitting up, god, he had one hell of a headache right now.   
  
“Tony?” Steve said hesitantly.   
  
“What’s a Tony?” he asked tilting his head.   
  
“Don’t you dare joke about this, Tony are you alright?” Natasha demanded.

Tony laughed and hopped up off the table. “Natasha, my dear feisty spy friend, I have never been alright in my life. Now I everyone get in a line; I need to hug you all and get all the updates that I have missed. Did you all miss me while I was off on my villain vacation?” He laughed and smiled, all while thinking over Loki’s words, don’t think about it, just don’t think about it, he can deal with this when he was alone.  
  


————————————————————————

Loki returned to his safe house and collapsed to his knees on the grass, he had used too much magic today, that must be it. He rolled onto his back and was greeted by the night sky. Tony Stark and Loki scrawled out in the sky. He lifted his hand up to rub it out but his arm trembled. His body trembled.

Look looked up at those stars and though at everything he had lost in life, his family, his sanity, his place in the worlds and now Tony was one more point on that list.He was now alone and openly mourned it all. He looked up at those names and wept. No matter how hard he pressed his palms to his eyes the tears just wouldn’t stop.


End file.
